Electronic unavailability

Russia dropped in the ranking of information technology development

The research division of The Economist magazine, with the participation of the IBM Institute for Business Value, has published its latest annual ranking of e-readiness for 69 countries.

The main results of the 2007 rating are as follows. Denmark, the USA and Sweden, like a year ago, retain their leadership, but Asian countries, led by Singapore and Hong Kong, have come close to them. The new methodology for calculating the ranking, used starting this year, has “raised the bar”, and now more significant technological advances are required from a country to achieve a high place. In this regard, some states have lost their previous positions, going down, although, as a rule, not by much. Among them is Russia, which is now in 57th place between China and Egypt (a year ago we were 52nd). The maximum possible rating value is ten. Denmark, which ranks first, has 8.88. Iran, which comes last on the list, has 3.08. Our country has 4.27.

The substantive meaning of the e-readiness rating, the calculation of which is based on a combination of many factors, is primarily to quantify the readiness of the national market to use the opportunities provided by the Internet. This, according to the authors of the rating, increasingly determines the achieved level and, most importantly, the prospects for further technological development of states.

IBM Eastern Europe/Asia CEO Kirill Korniliev believes that Russia’s loss of its previous – also, however, low – place in the electronic readiness ranking is due to changes in the calculation methodology: “For example, now it is not just the availability of Internet access that is assessed, but the quality its use by citizens, the implementation of various opportunities, security, and an affordable price for the majority.” Small countries have an advantage over Russia, which has to develop digital communications infrastructure over vast areas with low population densities. According to the expert, national programs vigorously implemented in Russia “will in the near future have a positive impact on our country’s position in the ranking.”

Anna MAYOROVA