The strategic business value of internet usage in Small to Medium-sized Enterprises

Abstract

In an increasingly global world, both information and information technology are of great significance to organization of all sizes. Businesses both large and small need information to succeed in today's rapidly changing environment, they need to be able to process data and use information effectively when conducting their day-today operations. The choice of SMEs as the main context of this paper is not arbitrary. It is chosen because of SMEs make significant contribution to most economies of the World. SMEs are extremely important to many countries. In some countries this group of organisations provide the foundation for the entire economy; their contribution to the economy cannot be over emphasised. Given the strategic importance of the SME sector to growth and job creation and the large base of Internet users, the success of SMEs gaining business leverage from the Internet is critical to the future of global economies. It is argued that SMEs stand to benefit significantly from the opportunities that Internet can offer to businesses. Therefore, the use of the Internet is widely seen as critical for the competitiveness of SMEs in the emerging global market.