Enterprise DG releases two new e-business publications
The European Commission's Enterprise DG has released two new publications, one covering the successes and failures of European companies in using e-business processes, and the second a pocketbook of e-business indicators. The 'European e-business report' is a 230 page summary of previously published studies of e-business practices in 15 sectors of the EU economy. The report assesses the maturity and economic impact of e-commerce and e-business activities, compares each sector's performance against the industry average, and addresses specific policy issues. The 'pocketbook of e-business indicators' gives clear and ready figures on information and communication technology (ICT) and e-business use in the same 15 sectors. The statistics are drawn from a survey of decision makers within more than 9,200 enterprises in July 2002. Figures from the publications show that currently, more than a third of all enterprises have bought products or services online, which is double the number that sell online. E-business take-up is fastest in the ICT services, electronics, business services and media and printing sectors. More than half of all enterprises say that their operations have been impacted by e-business, and surprisingly, estimates of this impact appear similar among small, medium and large companies alike.