UK businesses are failing to embrace the potential offered by the internet and ecommerce, highlighting a strong scepticism about the internet's marketing and purchasing power.
The public's willingness to deal with the government electronically has leapt as citizens come to appreciate the convenience of online access, according to MORI's research for KPMG Consulting's annual benchmark e-government survey. The survey reveals a fundamental change in the public's understanding of the potential of electronic channels, with twice as many people now wanting to carry out online transactions (renew a passport, for example) as those simply wanting to access public service information online.
A report released today by think-tank Forum for the Future calls on the Government to seize the social and environmental opportunities created by the internet and e-commerce. With the right blend of policy and incentives, the new economy could become cleaner, greener and more socially inclusive than then old. But without concerted action now, we run the risk of problems in the future from increased social exclusion, to streets jammed with half-empty delivery vans and a substantial growth in air freight.
A MORI report commissioned by major UK commercial broadcasters has shown today that the BBC's public consultation on its proposed new digital services is "clearly not representative of the public in any meaningful sense and cannot be considered a reliable measurement of public opinion."
A new market research study indicates that most magazine retailers want freedom to choose the wholesalers they do business with, rather than have them appointed by publishers.
