Business Facilities - November 2007 - (Page 36)

By Mitchell Banks MEETING THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGE Cities will increasingly need to become self-reliant when it comes to preparing themselves for the future—one in which companies and citizens alike expect high-tech services. WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM NETWORKED READINESS INDEX 2006–2007 RANKINGS Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Country Denmark Sweden Singapore Finland Switzerland Netherlands United States Iceland United Kingdom Norway Canada Hong Kong SAR Taiwan, China Japan Australia Germany Austria Israel South Korea Estonia Ireland New Zealand France Belgium Luxembourg Score 5.71 5.66 5.60 5.59 5.58 5.54 5.54 5.50 5.45 5.42 5.35 5.35 5.28 5.27 5.24 5.22 5.17 5.14 5.14 5.02 5.01 5.01 4.99 4.93 4.90 A ccording to the executive summary of the World Economic Forum’s report, “Global Information Technology Report 2006–2007,” governments around the world are employing information technology to “deliver more services to citizens at less cost and to improve their networking capabilities.” The summary also notes that, according to a recent World Bank report, cities—not central governments—will increasingly play the critical role in determining how ready their economies are for the global information environment. Choosing a location that is poised to become a “local global player” may need to be a critical element of your information technology company’s site selecting strategy; to ignore this trend could risk putting your company at a competitive disadvantage, something most information technology companies can ill afford given the pace of innovation in the industry. NOVEMBER 2007 A community with a forwardlooking view of its business environment for information technology companies creates an environment in which a small company can become a global exporter, and new jobs and even entirely new types of companies are created. Communities that ignore their obligation to a high-tech future will find their economies threatened, while those that meet the challenge head-on will find their efforts to be the key to a sustainable future in an increasingly connected world. RIVERSIDE, CA: SMART TECHNOLOGY, SMART IMPLEMENTATION A connected world requires faster communication and instant information with no restraints—and undoubtedly, wireless Internet access is transitioning from a luxury to a “must have” for any company. The city of Riverside, CA recognizes this change and is dedicated to staying a step ahead of technology advance- SOURCE: WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM 36 A S P E C I A L A D V E RT I S I N G S E C T I O N O F B U S I N E S S FA C I L I T I E S PHOTO CREDIT: RIVERSIDE, CA

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Business Facilities - November 2007

Business Facilities - November 2007 Contents First Words Snapshots Metro Spotlight: Indianapolis Region, Indiana Georgia's Pursuit of Industry Extreme Technology Sites A Tennessee Trifecta A Watershed Moment for Philly Metro Spotlight: Mexico-Texas Border Region High Tech and Aerospace Heat up in Arizona Meeting the Information Technology Challenge IEDC Announces 2007 Winners Corporate Moves: Alabama Northeast Arkansas Scores Major Investments Corporate Moves: Virginia Metro Spotlight: Martinsville-Henry County, VA Renewable Michigan Advertiser Index Ask the Expert

Business Facilities - November 2007

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