Dot.com mania may be over but the information and communication revolution is continuing to transform the way we do business. If developing nations grasp the opportunities provided by this technology their economies will be transformed. But many companies are still dragging their heels and governments need to lead the way, the United Nations says.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the main source of new jobs and are crucial to Europe's competitiveness in the global market. Yet most of them find it very difficult to fully exploit digital technology. The Information Society Technologies (IST) programme is helping SMEs to do e-business, though that often entails drastic changes in how they work.