Last month, Google Australia celebrated the first birthday of Getting Aussie Business Online (GABO) and announced that more than 50% of Australia’s small businesses are now online.

Users can get a website for free through GABO that allows them to do business while they slumber. The service is being pitched to prospective users as a free solution from Google and MYOB.

It also includes:

Despite these advances, nearly half of Australia’s 1 million small business owners remain on the sidelines of the digital economy.

To overcome this economic disadvantage, the Council of Small Business of Australia (COSBOA) has announced they’ve joined the effort and become an official supporter of the movement. Their support will enable the program to reach small businesses in COSBOA’s network of organizations and educate them about the importance of being online.

COSBOA was founded in 1979 and was incorporated in 1985. The organization has been noted as a strong advocate for small business issues ranging from taxation and workplace relations, to competition law and retail tenancy.