However, much work needs to be done to implement the recommendations of this State Technology plan also known as the ETAG report. The Michigan Virtual University can help stem the information technology gap by providing ongoing education and job training programs via the Internet and video classrooms beginning in1999. Business Development Information technology is revolutionizing the way wealth is created. It is changing how products and services are designed, produced and sold. As a result, the pace of change in every sector has radically increased.
Old markets disappear in a matter of years, and new ones emerge in a matter of months.
Michigan's workers, companies, universities, and economic support infrastructure need to develop new attitudes, new approaches, and new of institutions to fully harness the economic potential of information technology. Michigan is generally considered a second-tier information technology state. High-tech regions such as Atlanta, Boston, Austin, Seattle, the Washington, D.C. area, and, of course, Silicon Valley, garner much more attention from the business world and the media. Michigan ranked 11th among the states in information technology employment with 64,200 workers, according to a January 1998 study by Microsoft. Other state's appear to be doing a better job of information technology business development.