How do Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art organisations use technological networks in their business?

This paper presents the results of a study investigating how effectively ebusiness is being used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art centres and what the associated challenges and opportunities of doing so are. For eight selected art centres in remote Australia (Western Desert, central desert, west coast and the Kimberley) a number of common ebusiness activities were analysed, including email communication with images, stock control database, online news and blogs, newsletters and videos. In-depth interviews with nine staff members at the eight art centres provided further insights. Most participants indicated that ebusiness was important to them, although only about 10% of sales were estimated to be created online. This paper explores the practical and strategic choices faced by remote area, cross cultural enterprises as they face challenges in staying abreast of rapid technological shifts.