However, I think that e-commerce and this whole knowledge economy is moving so fast that just being okay isn't good enough, that we need to make sure that we're making the appropriate investments in doing the kinds of things that will keep us competitive and hopefully put us ahead of the pack. The study looked at high tech areas including infrastructure, or access to getting wired, affordability and the quality of on-line services, as well as business and government web sites and internet services. Baunach says one of the statistics amazed her. The one place I was shocked actually that we were below the curve was that only 15 percent of the companies statewide had web sites. And I would have thought that more companies would have web sites.
Fear is blamed for at least part of the problem.
Another reason Ohio businesses are slow to embrace the new technology could be tradition. While 70 percent of all companies in the area use computers, most don't even have an internet presence. Terry Uhl is a spokesman for Cleveland Today, an organization that promotes expanding business interests in the city. He says many companies are trapped in an industrial mentality. Uhl believes promoting the state's high tech capabilities to others will go a long way in helping spark more development.