eC

1
eC

• Although the definitions may be elusive, most
  organizations are moving to re-define themselves
  as part of the Digital Economy. There is a sense
  that organizations that can adapt and harness the
  power of the Digital Economy will prosper, while
  those that do not will lag behind.

2
eC

• What is true for organizations may be even more
  applicable at a national level. Countries which
  have a highly developed Digital Economy are
  experiencing sustained economic growth, while
  those with an underdeveloped Information
  Technologies infrastructure and a small or
  non-existent Digital Economy are perceived to be
  languishing whether by cause or by consequence
  remains an intriguing puzzle.

3
eC

• As the most prominent example of a highly
  developed Digital Economy, the United States in
  the 1990s experienced the longest economic
  expansion in its history.

4

• While there were many factors that influenced
  this growth, it was widely acknowledged that one
  of the biggest factors was rapid growth and
  innovation in the IT sector and the associated
  improvements in worker productivity and process
  efficiency.

5
eC

• The growing digital divide between so-called
  developed and developing nations has become a
  dominant theme in discussions of global economic
  and social development. Indeed, the issue has
  been identified by development agencies as one of
  the most pressing problems to be addressed in the
  coming decade.

6
eC

• Information Technology is a fundamental
  development priority. Virtually every major
  development agency, from the United Nations and
  the World Bank down to bilateral and
  foundation-based aid, identify IT infrastructure
  as a cornerstone for most other aid activities
  and objectives ranging from poverty eradication
  to social and economic growth.

7

• Many of these agencies have moved this issue to
  the front burner for immediate action, and have
  either established or announced major new IT
  development programs.