LITTLE GUYS STILL SAY NO TO THE NET THE INTERNET IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE GREAT LEVELER, enabling smaller companies to look, act, and sell just like the big ones do. But most small and midsize businesses are still standing on the sidelines of the electronic- commerce game, according to a survey by Yankee Group Inc. Among companies with fewer than 500 employees, only 30% said the Internet was important to achieving their business goals. Most of the businesses surveyed had some form of Internet access--31% of small companies (fewer than 100 employees) and 51% of midsize companies (100 to 500 employees). But the Internet resisters look firmly set in their ways: Of those companies with no Internet access, 55% of small businesses and 66% of midsize businesses have no plans to hook up. Security is the top concern among the companies surveyed. The cost of Internet access also rated high as a concern, along with illegal usage, reduced productivity, and unreliable network connections. Among those businesses using the Web, America Online Inc. was the single largest ISP (Internet service provider), with 27% of small companies and 15% of midsize companies, while telecom giant AT&T was a distant second. By Paul Judge EDITED BY IRA SAGER RELATED ITEMS TABLE: Cyber-Nots?

Updated Dec. 3, 1998 by bwwebmaster
Copyright 1998, Bloomberg L.P.
Terms of Use