ACS president Philip Argy said the Budget initiatives of greatest value to the ICT industry are those designed to stimulate growth for SMEs.Argy said the Australian ICT sector is largely made up of small to medium size enterprises.

"This is the heartland territory for much of our technology innovation, and it is where our greatest potential lies for ICT export growth," he said.

"For this reason, we are particularly encouraged by the venture capital initiatives in this year's Budget, including A$200 million (US$155 million) for technology development via an innovation investment fund program and a further A$73 million for Invest Australia."

The ACS also highlighted the A$495 million overhaul of Department of Immigration computer system.

Argy called upon DIMIA to structure the tender so it fully considers local SMEs, and not just the larger suppliers.