The outlook for the mining sector has radically changed due to the global economic crisis. This boom and bust cycle has left many mining companies considering ways to manage operating costs in order to remain economically viable. But this is not the only challenge the sector faces, according to Deloitte’s report, Tackling Trends 2009: The Top 10 Global Mining Issues. In the long run, the sector must find ways to remain sustainable amid the sea of legal, social, economic and environmental issues.

These challenges actually present opportunities for the ICT sector because technology can manage complex systems, streamline processes, reduce costs, and improve efficiency and productivity. Consider enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, which coordinates the entire mining value chain, from locating to divesting minerals. Think of radio-frequency identification (RFID) and global positioning system (GPS) technologies, which track the movement of minerals and equipment.