The Tánaiste, Ms Harney, launched a campaign yesterday intended to persuade small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to use the internet more and to get involved in e-business.

The "OpenUp" campaign, which is being organised by Enterprise Ireland, will raise awareness of e-business and provide relevant information and guidance to interested firms.

The website www.openup.ie has a range of online resources for companies interested in learning more about e-business.

Recent surveys suggest that Irish enterprises lag their European counterparts in the adoption of ebusiness.