In 1990, Michael. E. Porter of Harvard Business School published the results of an extensive research effort that attempted to determine the competitive advantage of nations. The computer literacy of Austria 's population is too low. In the workplace, the acceptance of computers has increased and office automation picked up. In education, however, there is still a lack of integration of computers and technology in the classroom.
Teachers also have to be educated in the field so they are able to pass it on to the students.
Only recently has the Ministry of Education made an effort to promote further education for teachers and to cooperate with the industry to gain further acceptance in the classroom. The PTT has been overwhelmed with the pace of evolution of IT products and demand growth rates. The problem of the monopoly is reinforced by the fact that public funds are limited since the government has run a budget deficit for years. The SMEs do not have the funds to conduct necessary research to come up with innovative products. The whole country basically relies on the government's research facilities and programs which are endangered if the Maastricht criteria to join the European Monetary System are to be met.