Globalisation and Australia's changing economy has hit the regional and rural sectors hard over the last few years. There has also always been the issue of government support and provision of services for regional communities - particularly with the high costs of building and maintaining infrastructure. But we know of the opportunities for change. These initiatives are part of the enormous changes in the economy being driven by the development and adoption of electronic commerce, information and knowledge sharing practices particularly through the Internet, around the world and in Australia. The global and domestic implications of which are being labelled - the 'information economy'.
Technology is merely the enabler.
But electronic commerce and the broader emergence of an information society is a major social and economic issue for Australia. And their existing customers will be vulnerable to the agile and interactive allures of online international competitors. Speed is what has characterised the emergence of the information economy. Fewer than 40 million people were connected to the Internet during 1996. By the end of 1997, more than 100 million were using the Internet.