Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
DISCUSSION OF CHAPTER 5:
OPERATIONAL SECURITY OF UBIQUITOUS INFORMATION
Dr. Paulo Amaral
with contributions from Mr. A. Gabovych, Dr. M. Valente, Dr. S. Guerra, Dr. A. Erez, Capt. L. Policarpo, Col. D.
Handy, Col. H. Dinis
Gabovych : I have a question regarding the penetration and consumption of Internet in
Portugal. Can you tell me the percentage of users of the Internet in Portugal? I think it
will show us the number of people who will mature along with the maturing of the
Internet.
Amaral : In 2003 it was 50%, but that is an estimate; it is perhaps nearer to 48 or 49%.
It is not very good because the average in the European Community is over 70%. So we
are perhaps two years behind, but it will happen, just like the mobile phone. Now 80%
of the population has one. So, in two to three years from now everyone, including
Portugal, will be at maturity. Even if it is 80%, it is still in the infancy of what
communication through technology will mean for us.
Gabovych : Do you have graphs which reflect the percentage of high and low Internet
users; let us say, who uses perhaps twelve hours a day or only two hours a day? Or you
have averages?
Amaral : The profile is very easy to understand. We are talking about young people
and high income people. I cannot give you any percentages of daily use of the Internet.
Gabovych : Do you have graphs of previous growth. 5 to 7% or less? We would like
to estimate our position.
Amaral : In Internet terms, technology has to be advanced. You have to have 80% of
the population using technology in order to have 50% using the Internet. So we are two
to three years behind the average and until 1998 it was very low, perhaps only 7%. Then
it rose to 16% in 1999, to 32% in 2001 and now it is 50%. So in approximately three and
a half years it really increased, like many countries but a little bit more steeply as
happened with the mobile phone. I would say that countries that started to use the mobile
phone after the Internet have steeper curves. And they all reached maturity in a few
years. That is what is happening with the Internet. So, if you have now somewhere
between 10 and 12%, I would preview that in three years in Ukraine you could have
50%.
Gabovych : What was the factor behind the Internet boom? Was it an economic factor
or a drop in prices?
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