The use of new technology by firms in Wielkopolska

Abstract

Technological progress, especially in the information and communication technology sector (ITC) has initiated a series of changes in the existing organization of service activities. An important aspect of the organizational change in the services sector is the development of new forms of providing and distribution of traditional service with the use of computer technology and the Internet – so-called electronic services (e-services). The development of this form of the services provision has occurred in almost every service activity that does not require direct contact between the provider and the recipient, and is particularly notable trade (e-commerce), public administration (e-government) and education (e-learning). This process, determined by access to the Internet network, was launched in Poland in the 1990s Initially, access to the global network enabled mainly communication between firms located in different places of the world. Today, Internet access has become more widespread and causes significant changes in many aspects of operation of firms.
The main aim of this article is to analyze the scale of use new technology based on the use of electronic services by businesses in the region of Wielkopolska. The analysis was based on the results of a survey conducted on a sample of businesses, which concerned the types of electronic services, the frequency and motives of their use, as well as barriers to such use.