Business Performance Newsletter – June 2011

1. Business Performance group update

The last few months have been busy, with a range of results released from our 2010 suite of surveys. Several of our team members have left to pursue travel and other interests, so we have some new faces, who are now busy assisting with preparations for our upcoming 2011 surveys.

The areas we measure, such as R&D, innovation, and information and communication technology, continue to be topical and of relevance to the New Zealand economy, while recent publicity around the film industry has sustained interest in our screen industry information. The prototype Longitudinal Business Database continues to be in demand for microdata research, and we provide support for the steady stream of projects being worked on by researchers in other organisations. All this will keep the team busy throughout the next few months.

2. Information and communication technology programme

Internet service providers

Internet Service Provider Survey: June 2010 was released on 15 October 2010. Results showed that the total number of broadband subscribers increased 15 percent, to 1.3 million, between June 2009 and June 2010.

The Internet Service Provider (ISP) Survey collects information on the provision of Internet access to New Zealand households and businesses. The survey is sent to New Zealand-based ISPs, and asks about the number of active subscribers. The survey measures the number and nature of these subscribers and provides the core set of official statistics on Internet service provision.

Results for the 2010/11 ISP survey will be released in October 2011.

For further information contact Simon Thomson: info@stats.govt.nz.

Information and communication technology supply

Information and Communication Technology Supply Survey: 2009/10 was released in April 2011. Results showed that sales of Internet access and Internet telecommunication services jumped 28 percent between 2008 and 2010.

The next survey will be run in 2012 and we plan to review the questionnaire and its content during 2011. Any interested parties wishing to talk to us about future content can contact Simon Thomson: info@stats.govt.nz.

Household information and communication technology

Household Use of Information and Communication Technology: 2009 was released in April 2010, and additional tables were released in July 2010. This second release included data on a range of topics, such as broadband availability in rural areas, progress in switching to digital TV, and voting online.

The Household Use of ICT Survey, which is run every three years, collects data from households about their access to and use of computers, the Internet and mobile phones.

The next survey will be run in 2012 and we plan to review the questionnaire and its content during 2011. If you want to discuss future content, please contact Simon Thomson: info@stats.govt.nz.

Business use of information and communication technology

Business Operations Survey: 2010 – Detailed tables contains the latest results on New Zealand businesses’ use of information and communication technology (ICT).

Data about ICT use in New Zealand businesses is collected every two years, as one of three modules within the annual Business Operations Survey.

The next ICT module will run in 2012 and we plan to review the module content during 2011. For further information or to talk to us about future content, contact Kathy Jackson: info@stats.govt.nz.

3. Business operations 

Business Operations Survey: 2010 was released on 8 April 2011, accompanied by the release of detailed tables containing information on business operations, use of ICT, price and wage setting, and financing.

The 2011 questionnaire has been finalised and will be posted out in August. It includes modules on business operations, innovation, and international engagement. Results for the 2011 survey will be released in April 2012.

We are aiming to produce a research paper looking at the longitudinal element of the Business Operations Survey. This will use data collected from the survey between 2005 and 2010.

Shortly, we will be inviting expressions of interest for the contestable component of the 2012 survey.

For further information, contact Kathy Jackson: info@stats.govt.nz.

4. Screen industry

Screen Industry Survey 2009/10 was released on the 30 March 2011. National and regional tables from the survey providing additional information were released on 26 May 2011.

The Screen Industry Survey collects information about the size and nature of the screen industry in New Zealand. Screen industry refers to all businesses involved in the following sectors: screen production and post-production, distribution, exhibition, and broadcasting.

The questionnaire for the 2010/11 survey has been finalised and will be posted out in August. Work is about to start on selecting the population for the survey.

For further information, contact Jason Mackiewicz: info@stats.govt.nz.

5. Research and development

Research and Development Survey: 2010 was released on 22 March 2011. The results showed that total research and development expenditure for 2010 was almost $2.5 billion, up 13 percent from $2.2 billion in 2008.

Research and Development in New Zealand: 2010 (report) was released on 27 May 2011.

For further information, contact Ben Nimmo: info@stats.govt.nz.

6. Bioscience 

Bioscience Survey 2011 is now set up. The questionnaire has been finalised and will be posted out in August. Small changes have been made to the questionnaire not only to assist respondents to accurately complete the survey but also to meet the needs of stakeholders and data users.

Work is currently underway to select the population for the Bioscience survey 2011. Results of the survey will be released in February 2012.

For further information, contact Michael Challands: info@stats.govt.nz.

7. New Zealand Energy Use   

NZ Energy Use Survey 2011 is now set up, with the sample designed and selected, the questionnaire finalised, and the processing system ready. We are now posting out the survey forms and awaiting the first responses. Results will be published in October 2011.

Uthpala Vattala has joined the Business Performance unit's team to boost analytical power as we receive responses from our third and final year in the first economy cycle. We eagerly await having data for the full economy to analyse, as well as moving forward with the option of a single, economy-wide sample.

For further information about the survey please contact Meighan Ragg: info@stats.govt.nz.

8. Longitudinal Business Database

Prototype Longitudinal Business Database (LBD) contains integrated data from survey and administrative sources, and is used for microdata research. It was created by the two-year feasibility project, Improved Business Understanding via Longitudinal Database Development (IBULDD). The database contains a wide range of longitudinal, annual, enterprise-based data on New Zealand businesses.

After our recent annual update the LBD contains data from 2000 to 2009.

For further information, contact Yolandi de Beer: info@stats.govt.nz.

9. Who’s who in Business Performance

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