APDIP e-Note 12 on Promoting ICT Access and Use by SMEs

The potential benefits of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are well known. ICTs enhance SME efficiency, reduce costs, and broaden market reach, both locally and globally. However, SMEs face several barriers preventing them from implementing or maintaining ICT business solutions. As SMEs play a major role in national economies, governments have an interest in the promotion of access to and use of ICTs by SMEs.

This APDIP e-note provides an overview of the policy considerations that are needed to promote ICT usage among SMEs. It discusses critical components for a comprehensive policy and legislative strategy that would address the various policy, legal, market, technical and social considerations needed in order to create conditions conductive for encouraging ICT-enabled SMEs.

APDIP e-Notes are brief snapshots that present analyses of specific issues related to ICTs for sustainable human development in the Asia-Pacific region. This online series introduces readers to the who, what, where, why and how of a wide range of current issues related to ICTs such as Internet governance, ICTs and poverty reduction, e- governance, free and open source software, and many others.

APDIP e-Note 12 - The Role of Governments in Promoting ICT Access and Use by SMEs: Considerations for Public Policy [PDF, 111kB]

APDIP e-Note 4 - Why Should Countries Embed ICT into SME Policy? Carol Chyau, 2005 [PDF, 143kB]

Legal and Regulatory Issues in the Information Economy: e-Commerce and e-Business [PDF, 179kB] and [wikibooks]

e-Primer on Small and Medium Enterprises and ICT

e-Primer on e-Commerce and e-Business [PDF, 326kB]

Governing Internet Use: Spam, Cybercrime and e-Commerce, in Internet Governance: Asia-Pacific Perspectives, pp. 89-104 [PDF, 383kB]

Legal, Regulatory and Policy Issues of e-Commerce in Asia, in ICT Policies and e-Strategies in the Asia-Pacific: A critical assessment of the way forward, pp. 171-186 [PDF, 885kB]

ICT Policy Formulation and e-Strategy Development: A Comprehensive Guidebook [PDF, 1.3MB]

All APDIP e-Resources

Workshops on Capacity Building in Public Policy Issues of Internet Use for Business Development in Asia and the Pacific

UNESCAP's e-Business Pilot Projects for SMEs in the Greater Mekong Subregion

The Role of Government in e-Business Development for SMEs - A Powerpoint Presentation by Lars Bestle for UNESCAP

eCommerce for Small Enterprise Development: A Handbook for Entrepreneurs in Developing Countries

eCommerce for Small Enterprise Development: A Handbook for Enterprise Support Agencies in Developing Countries