Survey looks at local digital technology industry

A survey released today claims that New England's digital marketing, media, and technology industry is made up of 2,877 companies that employ 93,000 people and collectively generate about $29 billion in annual revenue.

The survey is from the Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange, or MITX, a Cambridge-based trade group for the industry.

Other survey findings noted that Massachusetts dominates the industry in New England and that the industry continues to thrive despite a sluggish economy, MITX said.

The Massachusetts head count for the industry is 78,000, and 41,000 of those folks work in Boston, Cambridge, Waltham, and Burlington, MITX said.

The survey also asked MITX members to assess attitudes and expectations within the industry; respondents said they expect staffing to grow an average of 6 percent during 2008, with revenue growth over last year expanding by 14 percent, MITX said.

"We've all seen the headlines - softening economy, enterprises retrenching and downsizing underway," Kiki Mills, executive director of MITX, said in a statement. "However, the MITX constituency is bucking the trend with growth and expansion. The economic impact these companies have on the local economy is much greater than people think. We always hear about Massachusetts as the hub for biotechnology; however New England's digital business sector is leading in employment and driving innovation on a global scale."
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)