E-divide issues in regional Australia

摘要

Computers, Internet and e-commerce are now gaining increased acceptance in daily life and are becoming essential business tools. While the promise that 'e-commerce will literally replace bricks and mortar based transactions' may never be fulfilled,the information technology (IT) sector will continue to grow in future. As in the case of any emerging technology, computers and Internet have the potential to add another divide in the society. Digital divide is now being widely debated in the literature and several countries are taking action to minimise its impact on businesses as well as the general community. This paper outlines e-divide issues in regional Western Australia. Using data from several in-depth interviews with businesses, trainers andservice providers in a small regional town, this paper examines the constraints and business parameters that influence the adoption and non-adoption of computers and Internet by regional businesses. Australia has a high level of computer usage and Internet uptake and, in many respects, Australian results will be applicable to several OECD (Organisation For Economic Co-Operation And Development) countries.