Information and Communication Technology Use: Are Small Firms Catching up? - ARCHIVED

This paper examines the adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) in small and large firms and the technology gaps that exist between them. It covers the period from 1999 to 2002 and uses the Survey of Electronic Commerce and Technology.

Initially, incorporating ICT into a business was a challenge for many small firms because of the cost of the infrastructure and the inability to quickly adjust their business plans accordingly. More recently however, small firms in Canada have managed to close the technology gap between themselves and large firms regarding basic technologies such as personal computers, e-mail and Internet use.

Small firms continue to lag behind large firms in regard to implementing more complex technologies such as websites, intranets, extranets and online sales systems. The new challenge for small firms will be closing these technology gaps.