Forfas issues warning on e-business adoption

The downturn in the world economy and technology markets must not lead to "complacency on e-business adoption" by Irish Government…

The downturn in the world economy and technology markets must not lead to "complacency on e-business adoption" by Irish Government and business, State enterprise agency Forfas warned today.

In a report the agency notes Ireland has made "significant progress in establishing a supportive environment for e-business" but says countries with which we compete "continue to implement new initiatives to improve the business environment for e-business".

The report, entitled e-business: Where are we and where do we go from heresays despite the global slowdown, worldwide revenues from e-business continue to grow strongly.

The report quotes figures estimating worldwide e-business revenues of €2.4 trillion by 2004.

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It says: "e-Business has the potential to enhance competitiveness, at the level of the firm and nationally, through increasing productivity, reducing costs of production and distribution, increasing management efficiency and information flows, and increasing access to international markets.

The report claims companies that use e-business effectively can generate revenue increases of 10 or 20 per cent and cut costs by 20 to 45 per cent.

Eoin Burke-Kennedy

Eoin Burke-Kennedy

Eoin Burke-Kennedy is Economics Correspondent of The Irish Times