Industry snapshot
Key public data points
Historical & forecast
Base year 2025. Each series is official through its own latest government-data year (shown in the legend on each chart), and years beyond that are Claight estimates. As of July 2026 the current year is still in progress (2026 annual data is not yet published), so the forecast runs to 2030.
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Connect to an analyst →Industry Definition and Scope
What does the Computer System Design Services in Australia industry cover?
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in providing expert advice, design, and development services for computer systems, custom software applications, and network infrastructure. It spans the planning, installation, modifications, and long-term technical support of information technology solutions tailored to organizational needs.
- •Classified explicitly under the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) code 7000.
- •Core activities include custom software application development, computer hardware consulting, systems integration, and network design.
- •Excludes traditional hardware manufacturing, volume off-the-shelf software retailing, and pure internet publishing or broadcasting services.
Market Structure and Operators
Who operates in the industry and how is it structured?
The Australian market structure is heavily fragmented, dominated by a large volume of sole traders and micro-enterprises. Geographically, operations are concentrated within the primary commercial hubs of Australia, reflecting the locations of major corporate headquarters and government buyers.
- •Out of 63,927 tech businesses in June 2025, 97.6% are classified as small enterprises, highlighting low concentration (ABS Count of Australian Businesses, June 2025).
- •New South Wales leads the country with 37.8% (24,193) of the industry's businesses, followed closely by Victoria at 29.5% or 18,874 operators (ABS, 2025).
- •Only 84 large-scale enterprises nationwide employ more than 200 staff members, illustrating a tiny upper tier of major corporate players (ABS, 2025).
Demand Drivers
What drives demand in the industry?
Demand is driven by broad economic digital transformation, the continuous migration of legacy infrastructure to enterprise cloud environments, and heightened security requirements. Public and private organizations require ongoing structural system design to maintain operational efficiency and mitigate data risks.
- •Escalating enterprise and government investments in national cybersecurity resilience and cloud-native application modernization.
- •High digital-adoption mandates across key downstream sectors like financial services, health care, and public administration.
- •A profound reliance on collaborative technical consultants, given that 3-year survival rates for new tech firms sit at 50.4% (ABS FY22 cohort tracking).
Competitive Landscape and Notable Public Companies
Who are the notable companies in the industry?
The competitive landscape features a mixture of international technology consultancies, prominent domestic listed entities, and large system integrators. These firms compete primarily on specialized technical capability, sector-specific regulatory experience, and long-term service SLA tracks.
- •Data#3 Limited, an ASX-listed domestic IT services provider offering integrated system design, cloud consulting, and hardware/software optimization.
- •Dicker Data Limited, a major Australian-owned distributor and system configuration architecture partner operating extensively across the region.
- •Accenture Australia Pty Ltd and Capgemini Australia Pty Ltd, operating as leading global multinational consultancies executing large-scale public and private system deployments.
- •Atturra Limited, an expanding ASX-listed technology services firm focused on bespoke IT design, data analytics, and government system integrations.
Recent Trends and Outlook
What are the recent trends and outlook?
The industry is experiencing a rapid evolution toward artificial intelligence integration, data engineering architectures, and sovereign cloud systems. Labor markets indicate that despite general economic pressures, demand for specialized system architects and security professionals remains critically elevated.
- •The sector added 10,639 new businesses in a single financial year, outpacing standard sector contractions and closures (ABS, June 2025).
- •Industry personnel maintain higher premium median earnings at $2,071 per week compared to the national all-industries median of $1,741 (Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026).
- •Ongoing formal restructures of ANZSCO occupation descriptions reflect the emergence of new specializations like User Experience Designers and Chief Information Security Officers (ABS, 2025).
Regulation and Compliance
How is the industry regulated?
Operators must comply with strict federal guidelines concerning data protection, privacy, and procurement security frameworks. Compliance overhead is increasing as federal authorities introduce stricter requirements for critical national infrastructure and digital supply chains.
- •Mandatory alignment with the Privacy Act 1988 and its subsequent amendments governing the handling of personal data.
- •Strict adherence to the Information Security Manual (ISM) and the Essential Eight frameworks managed by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC).
- •The Security of Critical Infrastructure (SOCI) Act dictates stringent asset reporting and design standards for systems tied to utilities, transport, and defense.
Sources
Government, statistical and trade sources used for this Claight analysis.
- ABS Count of Australian Businesses, June 2025 ·
- ABS Labour Force Survey, Detailed, February 2026 ·
- Jobs and Skills Australia Industry Profiles, 2026 ·
- Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) 2006 (Revision 1.0) ·
- ABS ANZSCO Comprehensive Review, 2024-2025
Claight analysis of public industry data.