Ráðstefna um rafræn viðskipti
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a pleasure and privilege to address this conference, on Crossborder eBusiness Readiness.
The rise of the information society has led to major changes in government and public service as in commerce. Governments are adopting IT tools and processes in order to remain responsive to citizens’ expectations and needs for timely delivery of information and services.
Use of information technology is more widespread in Iceland than in most other countries. According to a recent OECD report, only Denmark and the Netherlands have more broadband subscriptions per capita (30 per 100 inhabitants). Including other means of on-line access, a vast majority of Icelanders have continuous access to digital information, providing a convenient platform for informing citizens about government services and policies.
Thus Iceland is in an ideal position among nations to pioneer in promoting e-government and e-commerce.
Successful e-Government requires a number of ingredients. These include:
· leadership from both the political and professional fields.
· organization-wide strategy and commitment
· technical know-how, skills and abilities.
The Icelandic government’s ongoing Information society initiative for the years 2004-2007, features most of the targets of: "