Tony Blair's efforts to make Britain the best place in the
world to do e-commerce are yielding results, according to a report
released by the Economist Intelligence Unit and IBM Institute for
Business Value.The UK now
ranks third in the world for conducting e-business – the same level
as the US – the 2003 “E-readiness Rankings” survey claimed. Four
years ago, when the survey was launched, the UK ranked sixth.
“E-readiness” - the extent to which a market is conducive to
internet-based opportunities - takes into account a wide range of
factors, from the quality of IT infrastructure to the ambition of
government initiatives and the degree to which the internet is
creating real commercial efficiencies.
Daniel
Franklin, editorial director of the Economist Intelligence Unit,
said that despite tough economic times e-business was making real
progress.
“The
frenzy of the dotcom years has gone, but the quiet work of
harnessing the internet to drive efficiencies in both business and
government has, if anything, intensified,” he said.
The report
recommended that the UK “can build on its outstanding e-readiness
position, but should be aware to keep moving ahead”. For example,
it said, low cost, high-speed internet access is essential to
further development of e-business in the UK.
The report
also praised the UK Online for Business project as “one of the
world's strongest and most innovative government projects
supporting e-business”.
In 2000,
when the E-readiness survey was launched, the US was far ahead of
the pack, but Scandinavian countries now lead the way. Sweden is
now the front runner with Denmark close behind and Finland and
Norway in sixth and seventh place respectively.
“What sets
Scandinavia apart is the extent to which the internet has pervaded
the marketplace and reshaped business transactions, and the
eagerness with which citizens have incorporated internet technology
into their daily routines,” the report said.