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  Highlights

  Information and communications technologies (ICTs) are increasingly ubiquitous and firms, industries and countries are reaping greater benefits from their ongoing investments in ICTs and the more widespread use of the Internet. This is true despite considerable changes in the economic landscape since the 2000 edition of the IT Outlook and questions about the existence of a 'new', knowledge-based economy, in light of the recent sharp decline in technology stocks and the slump in the ICT equipment industry.

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  ICTs and their Role in the Economy

  This issue of the Information Technology Outlook suggests, on the basis of recent evidence and analysis, that something new is indeed taking place in the structure of OECD economies and that it is this transformation, driven and facilitated by information and communication technologies (ICTs), which has contributed to the high growth recorded in several OECD countries during the second half of the 1990s (OECD, 2001). In many respects, Solow's paradox is being resolved. In addition to the surge in investment, ICT also appears to have brought other, more qualitative, economic benefits, like valuable networks between suppliers and more choice for consumers, notably thanks to the Internet. ICT has spurred innovation in services, has improved the efficiency of manufacturing and design, while making inventories and overheads more manageable. It has been a catalyst of change in business, improving work organisation, and helping firms to reduce routine transaction costs and rationalise their supply chains. Crucially, ICT, particularly when combined with skill upgrading and organisational change, seems to have facilitated productivity-enhancing changes within firms, in both new and traditional industries.  Such benefits are long-term in their effects, and will continue to develop, even given the difficulties and challenges that the industry faces today.

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  Globalisation and the ICT Sector

  This chapter examines the globalisation of the ICT-producing sector. Drawing on official industry and trade sources, it looks at quantitative indicators of the globalisation of ICT industries and markets. This leads to a brief exploration of some of the issues involved in the globalisation of the ICT sector and possible implications for the further development of the sector.

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  The Software Sector

  This chapter describes the latest developments, on both the supply and the demand side, in this rapidly growing and fiercely competitive industry. It highlights methodological problems which point to areas requiring further research. It first describes growth trends and shows how the software sector has grown in terms of most economic variables in the last few years and how software R&D and investment have spread throughout the economy. It then turns to international trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) in software. The next two sections look at packaged software markets, from the geographical point of view in the section on domestic markets and from the product point of view in the section on product categories for packaged software. A section on industry structure concludes the chapter.

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  E-commerce Intensity

  This chapter focuses on e-intensity indicators, in particular on the use of the Internet to purchase and sell, as well as on the nature and volume of electronic commerce transactions. In the aftermath of the "dot com" crash, many "virtual" start-ups that sold and/or purchased exclusively on line have disappeared. Overall, the growth of electronic commerce transactions has been less spectacular than some consultants had predicted. On the other hand, newly available official statistics show that, while still small, the volume of electronic transactions is growing and that the Internet is increasingly being used as a channel for transactions, especially purchases. The chapter begins by defining what is meant by electronic commerce transactions and by highlighting some of the relevant measurement issues. Available and comparable official statistics for measuring electronic transactions are still limited. This chapter uses the few high-quality indicators available to capture the nature and volume of electronic commerce transactions and identify common trends across countries, sectors and firm size. Finally, it exploits existing surveys to discuss some of the benefits of and barriers to electronic commerce transactions as perceived by businesses and individuals.

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  ICT Diffusion and the Digital Divide

  This chapter examines relevant national and international data and addresses the digital divide between and within OECD countries. It does not address digital divide issues for developing economies or the North/South divide. It focuses on the following issues:

  -- What are the indicators of the digital divide?

  -- What does the digital divide look like? How is it captured in national statistics in terms of social, business and demographic characteristics?

  -- How rapidly is the divide changing and in what directions?

  This chapter explores indicators of ICT access and use, the differences between leaders and laggards in terms of access and use and measures of changes in access.

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  Technology Trends in the ICT Sector

  This chapter discusses IT-related developments, their impact on the economy and society and possible implications for governments.

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  IT Policies

  This chapter summarises information technology (IT) and related policies that affect the development, diffusion and use of IT in OECD countries.1 First, an overview discusses responses to the IT Outlook policy questionnaire. The following sections explore areas of high current policy interest: ICT skills and the digital divide.

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