APDIP and APCICT Release e-Primer on SME and ICT
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Small and Medium Enterprises and ICT [PDF, 646kB] |
Almost 95 percent of enterprises in the Asia-Pacific region are SMEs. They are a key driver of national economies. While ICT can benefit these SMEs, they have been slow to adopt ICT due to poor telecommunications infrastructure, limited ICT literacy, the high cost of ICT equipment and incomplete government regulations for e-commerce. These gaps need to be addressed so that the opportunities provided by ICT are accessible to SMEs as well as larger corporations.
SMEs can benefit either as producers of ICT or as users of ICT for purposes such as increased productivity, faster communications and reaching new clients. This e-Primer (i) discusses benefits ICT brings to SMEs; (ii) explores possible uses of ICT; (iii) surveys past ICT policies and programmes for SMEs; and (iv) recommends policy options for the consideration of interested governments.
It is part of the e-Primer Series for the Information Economy, Society and Polity, which details the concepts, issues and trends regarding those topics. The Series is intended to raise awareness and help policy makers and planners understand the relevance of ICT for development by explaining applications in simple terms.
This e-primer is jointly produced by APDIP and the Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (APCICT).
Related links
APDIP e-Note 12 - The Role of Governments in Promoting ICT Access and Use by SMEs: Considerations for Public Policy
APDIP e-Note 4 - Why Should Countries Embed ICTs into SME Policy
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]
UNESCAP's e-Business Pilot Projects for SMEs in the Greater Mekong Subregion
eCommerce for Small Enterprise Development: A Handbook for Entrepreneurs in Developing Countries
Last modified 2007-08-07 10:17 AM
