Presentation of the IBM E-Readiness Report

About the Speech:

Suzanne Dirks, Leader, Global Centre for Economic Development, IBM Institute for Business Value, will present the newly released E-Readiness Rankings 2008.

Susanne Dirks, manager of the Dublin-based Global Centre for Economic Development Research within IBM\'s Institute for Business Value (IBV), will present the 2008 e-readiness rankings that the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) publishes each year in conjunction with the IBM Institute for Business Value.

e-readiness now in its 9th year of publication is defined as a measure of how amenable a national market is to Internet-based opportunities. The ranking evaluates the political, economic, social, and technological assets of now 70 countries and their cumulative impact on respective information economies. The rankings are based on nearly 100 qualitative and quantitative criteria, organised in 6 categories - connectivity and technology infrastructure, business environment, social and cultural environment, legal environment, government policy and vision, and consumer and business adoption.

Ms Dirks will outline the overall results of this year\'s survey, published on 9th April 2008, discuss key trends in e-readiness that are emerging, and provide a detailed overview of this year\'s results for Ireland.

About the Speaker:

Suzanne Dirks, Leader, Global Centre for Economic Development, IBM Institute for Business Value