Small and medium-sized businesses will be targeted in a new campaign to raise awareness of e-commerce - electronic commerce. IBEC and the Information Society Commission said yesterday they would hold a series of seminars around the Republic and maintain an attractive Internet web page.
"These will be highly-relevant, sector-specific seminars," said Mr Tommy McCabe, IBEC's assistant director. "We will be focusing in particular on companies providing internationally-traded services."
Speaking at IBEC's annual telecommunications conference yesterday, the chairwoman of the Information Society Commission, Ms Vivienne Jupp, said the SME sector had a vital part to play if Ireland were to participate fully in the global information age.
"E-commerce allows SMEs to access global markets, foster relationships from a business to business perspective, and capture new customers and suppliers," Ms Jupp added.
Global e-commerce currently stands at around $10 billion (£6.4 billion) and is predicted to grow to as much as $500 billion by 2002, Ms Jupp said.
Yesterday's conference was also addressed by the telecommunications regulator, Ms Etain Doyle, who stressed that her core role was to ensure Irish consumers benefitted from competition and liberalisation. "The telecommunications sector will play an increasingly important role in Irish economic development in the next decade, and in facilitating social and cultural development," Ms Doyle said.
Telecom Eireann's chief executive, Mr Alfie Kane, announced his company's expansion into Northern Ireland.
The chief executive of Esat Digifone, Mr Barry Maloney, said there had been phenomenal growth in the use of mobile phones in the Republic, and that he expected such growth to continue for some time.
