Australian small and medium businesses are about to spend 5 percent more for the internet technology as compared with 2007, investing USD 1.8 billion for this purpose. In 2009, this sum is expected to climb to USD 1.9 billion. More than 60 percent will be allocated for website hosting and development.

Australian medium businesses have become more aware of the advantages of owning a website and this is why the study claims that website usage is to reach a saturation level among these companies. The situation is different with small businesses, as 40 percent of them are about to possess a website.

Nearly 30 percent of website-owning SMBs have an intranet network. Most of them are not enthusiastic about making use of a third-party provider. An Australian medium business spends five times as much on an intranet compared to a small business. By the next year, medium businesses across the country are expected to reach intranet penetration levels, while small businesses are predicted to achieve such levels of over 25 percent.

By the end of 2009, nearly 50 percent of Australian SMBs who own a website are expected to register e-commerce activity. The SMBs' average annual e-commerce revenues are expected to grow by 16 percent in the same year.

Figures were released by Access Markets International (AMI) Partners.