Books Home

  Ireland: Internet Home
  Table Of Contents
  Book Excerpt
 

Author:
Gerry McGovern
Publisher:
Enterprise Ireland
Publication Date:
February 1996

 

Published in 1996, this was the first major Irish Government-sponsored report dealing with the potential of the Internet. This influential report clearly illustrates the opportunities and threats faced by a country such as Ireland in the emerging digital age.

Optimistic, but at the same time realistic, Ireland: the digital age, the Internet takes a comprehensive view of a rapidly growing Internet industry. It examines the impacts of digital age technologies on the economy and society, noting that, without proper strategies, the digital age will see a widening of the gap between rich and poor.

The report has a particular focus on the impact of the Internet on education, calling for a re-evaluation of how children are educated in a new world. It examines the role of government, emphasizing that government must engage more with the citizen. It explores the impact of the Internet on business, looking at sales and marketing, while also pointing out security issues.

Ireland: the digital age, the Internet, emphasizes that the Internet is a content-driven environment. It encourages people developing websites to minimize graphics and maximize content.

Ireland: the digital age, the Internet concludes by stating: “As we enter the new millennium, the line between success and failure is digital. Ireland has all the raw materials and necessary talent to stay on the right side of that line and in the process create a new Irish renaissance.”