Originally Published MX November/December
2001

BUSINESS PLANNING
& TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT

Austin's
Computer Gambit

To say that Austin,
TX, has a significant talent pool in the computer industry is an understatement.
Few regions can match the concentration of high-tech employment in this industry;
indeed, the economic activity of Central Texas that is related to computer technology
is more than 10 times the national average, according to studies done for the
Austin Chamber of Commerce by ICF Kaiser Engineers (San Francisco). Unlike older
high-tech regions, however, Austin’s growth in the sector remains strong,
averaging 6% compound annual growth through most of the 1990s.



Virtually every major manufacturer of computers and related equipment has established
facilities in the Austin area. These firms are supported by an extensive network
of suppliers. Moreover, as in Silicon Valley, the semiconductor industry has
developed important synergies with other industries, further leveraging the
computer sector’s strength, says Susan Davenport, director of marketing
for the Austin Chamber of Commerce.