There have been many significant developments over the past year in the telecommunications infrastructure that could bring Ireland closer to the Information Society, as envisaged by the Information Society Steering Committee earlier this year.
According to Ms Brenda Boylan, secretary of the Information Society Commission, the appointment of a telecoms regulator and the liberalisation of alternative communications infrastructures ISDN and fibre optic cable have been particularly significant developments.
Deregulation of the communications industry is crucial to progress, so the Internet's potential can be exploited on a grand scale.
The Internet service providers (ISPs) have consolidated their positions over the year. Telecom Eireann moved into the arena with its buyout of Indigo, a service provider, and the more recent purchase of EUNet by Esat Telecom.
These are the first steps towards integrating voice and data communication, though Telecom Eireann has been criticised by other ISPs for not extending the same services that Telecom Internet enjoys. These include the facility to include Internet charges on customers' phone bills, and to establish local-call access for all ISPs.
The cost of Internet access needs to come down this year, if there is to be a real attempt made at universal access. Latest estimates pitch Irish Internet usage somewhere around the 100,000 mark, while the worldwide estimate is 90 million.
New rate cuts by Telecom Eireann are helping the Internet community, though they have not been widely publicised. Its Circle of Friends initiative allows customers nominate five of their most commonly dialled telephone numbers, including their ISP, and receive a 10 per cent discount on these calls. As a business model, the Internet has great potential. even for the most vigorous detractors. The experience of Dell Computer this year is a perfect example of how the Internet can be used as a direct sales model.
Dell is now generating $3 million (£2 million) per day in Internet sales. The software industry should not ignore the potential of the Internet as a sales channel.
"Companies should consider their Internet site in the same way they would an overseas office. It has to be resourced and manned full time," says Ms Cryan, director of the Irish Software Association.
While Ireland is streaking ahead in other areas of the technology sector, its performance on the Internet has not been at the same level. There may be a host of sites coming online each week, but if they are not properly maintained, have poor links, are visibly unattractive or simply don't bring the visitor back you might as well not have bothered.
One Irish site which seems to have got the formula right so far is Nua (http://www.nua.com) the Internet consultancy and developer.
The advice of Mr Frank Ryan of the IDA probably says it all though: "For anyone filling out a CAO form this February the opportunities are endless in the area of science, computing, engineering and design."
