Published: April 19, 2004
Courtesy of TechWeb News

The U. S. slipped in an annual e-readiness survey as four Nordic countries moved up in the rankings, and Denmark moved into first place. Conducted by IBM and the Economist Magazine, the survey calculates how amenable countries are to Web opportunities.
“The e-readiness rankings provide valuable insight into how governments can influence the rate and nature of adoption of technology and applications,” said IBM's Peter Korsten in a statement. “Economic development is largely predicated on the effective and innovative use of technology.”

Placing third last year, the U. S. dropped to sixth in this year's survey. Nordic countries -- Sweden, which placed third, Norway, fourth, and Finland, fifth -- captured four of the top five places. The U. K. -- also tied with the U. S. for third place last year -- moved up a notch into second place.

Governments that coordinate Web strategy with industry associations and business tend to rank higher in the survey, the sponsors said Monday when announcing the report. Denmark, for instance, has established a Web site combining five Danish ministries and 24 organizations in a single Web address, which is available for companies to access.

Korsten, who is director of the IBM Institute for Business Value, said government-backed sites help provide business with information that helps them decide where to invest.

Scandinavian countries were set apart in the survey by the “extent to which the Internet has reshaped business transactions, the eagerness with which citizens have incorporated Internet technology into their daily routines, and the extent to which Scandinavian governments have driven development,” the sponsors of the survey said.