The Global Information Technology Report 2004-2005

The use and application of ICT continues to be an important factor driving economic growth. The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with INSEAD and CISCO, is pleased to announce the release of its fourth edition of the annual "Global Information Technology Report" - a comprehensive tool for measuring the progress of and identifying the obstacles to ICT development in over 100 countries worldwide. The Networked Readiness Index of the Report provides the most comprehensive assessment of how prepared an economy is to capture the benefits of technology to promote economic growth and productivity. This study explicitly considers the roles played by the major stakeholders - individuals, businesses and governments, in relation to three dimensions: the environment for the development and use of ICT, the readiness of stakeholders to leverage the potential of ICT, and the degree of usage of ICT. The selection of essays, detailed country profiles for 104 economies and data tables on over 70 different ICT indicators presented in the Report provide a useful guide for the design and structure of policy measures for the key ICT stakeholders, individuals, businesses, and governments, in order to capture the benefits of ICT.