The recently published Information Society Commission survey of business attitudes towards computers in the workplace will never be mistaken for an enthralling read but it is an illuminating one.
The MRBI questionnaire revealed plummeting confidence in the usefulness of IT skills training while confirming that the high-tech revolution has permeated all sections of Irish commercial life.
The report's headline data will comfort those advocating greater Government investment in IT infrastructure.
It finds that 98 per cent of respondent businesses use computers, though the number offering IT training fell 30 per cent since the last such analysis in 2000.
Eighty-four per cent of the 513 chief executives and managing directors who participated consider themselves "very comfortable" using a desktop personal computer. And, despite a shaky economy and the prospect of fresh upheavals ahead, 67 per cent of companies invested in IT last year. Seventy-seven per cent "frequently" use external email and 92 per cent allow at least some staff to use external email. Three out of four senior managers told MRBI they believed IT would help boost competitiveness over the next two years.
Respondents regard the downturn in the economy, diminishing competitiveness, and the threat of a sustained global recession as the most significant challenges ahead. Four out of five are "unaware" of the term "knowledge economy". Twenty per cent of those who are aware do not understand the term.
Four out of 10 companies lack an IT security policy, a "major" rise over 2000.
Just over half regard computers skills as "essential" or "very important" for future growth, an 18 per cent slump on 2000. Good customer relations remain the most cherished commodity, cited as "essential" or "very important" by 93 per cent. There is little evidence of demand for good language skills; 21 per cent believe they are "not important".
Desktop computers are the most commonly used information technology by some distance, although usage slipped one point to 98 per cent over 2000.
Attitudes towards the internet have shifted considerably since the 2000 survey. Sixty-five per cent of businesses have a website, down from 77 per cent. The overwhelming majority - 83 per cent - regard the Web as a marketing tool. Only 17 per cent conduct sales over the internet and only 12 per cent use it for business-to-business communication.
The Information Society Commission is an independent government agency based in the Department of the Taoiseach and includes business and academic representatives. "While the adoption of technology is progressing well in several areas we are lagging behind elsewhere and have even lost ground in some areas," warned Dr Danny O'Hare, chairman of the commission.
