PDF Ebook Measuring The Digital Economy
The growth, integration, and sophistication of information technology and communications is changing our society and economy. Consumers now routinely use computer networks to identify sellers, evaluate products and services, compare prices, and exert market leverage. Businesses use networks even more extensively to conduct and re-engineer production processes, streamline procurement processes, reach new customers, and manage internal operations.
While the burgeoning use of electronic devices in our economy is widely acknowledged and discussed, it remained largely undefined and unrecognized in official economic statistics. The Census Bureau initiated an aggressive program in 2000 to begin filling this data gap. This paper describes the Census Bureau measurement framework, definitions, strategy, data collection initiatives, initial results, and future plans. The fact that electronic business is in its infancy, yet growing and changing rapidly, poses special problems. A summary of the lessons we have learned over the past two years of this initiative is provided at the end of the paper.
It is useful to think of the digital economy as having three primary components--supporting infrastructure, electronic business processes (how business is conducted), and electronic commerce transactions (selling of goodds and services online). These components are defined and discussed in the following section. In addition, it is important to note that a common feature of both electronic business processes and electronic commerce transactions is reliance on the use of computer-mediated networks. The reliance on the use of computer networks, and the benefits they can provide, is the “bottom line” difference between electronic and other kinds of business. This important shared feature is defined and discussed in next section.
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