Information and communications technology (ICT) spending at the government level is critical to the development of Australia over the next few decades.

Spending here means greater use of capable cloud platforms, stronger IT security and communication tools capable of streamlining relations between different departments. Given these advantages, it should come as little surprise that the Australian government will ramp up spending over the next few years.

This prediction came from research organisation IDC, which pointed to consolidation, cost savings and efficiency goals as the primary drivers behind spending increases. Spending is set to reach a 1.7 per cent compound annual growth rate through to 2017 as it increases to AU$6.2 billion by 2018.

"Although overall ICT budgets are tight, Australian government organisations need to take advantage of the long-term benefits and cost-saving opportunities offered by cloud and mobility for their organisations," explained. IDC market analyst Bonnie Li.

"Understanding how these technologies can support cost savings through process change, transformation road maps and education across the organisation is critical."

IDC noted that state governments have also taken "big steps" toward driving cloud investments as part of their IT initiatives.

This spending growth should serve as a healthy reminder of the benefits of IT investment for companies throughout Australia. By investing in IT, businesses can streamline the department and work to ensure it's as efficient as possible.

As part of IT spending increases, however, it's also a good idea to place greater emphasis on IT training. How? IT frameworks such as ITIL are an excellent starting point for many companies, as they teach best practice in using the latest, greatest technologies. 

Get in touch with ALC Training to find out when the next ITIL course is coming up in one of the major cities.