Der Informationssektor in Österreich

Mikroökononrische Ausrrirkungen neucr Irfonnationstcchnologien l.l1
sized manufacturers, whose rates trail those of larger companies, and dramati-
cally lag foreign competition.
[. . . ]
Low inr.'estment. adoption. and diflirsion rates are a concern srnce it is onlv
through the use of a technology that familiarity with ist capabilities occur. Lou,
in\,estment and lorv dittrrsion rates mean that businesses rvhich are initrally un-
comfortable with new technologies remain skeptical of the ability of advanced
manufacturing strategies to affect competitiveness In addition. tirms that under-
invest in new manufacturing equipment lag not only in their comlort and under-
standing of information technologies. but consequently in the use of combina-
tions of technologies for modern manulacturing techniques such as continuous
flow processing. just-in-time inventory control, and concurrent engrneering.
This under-investment puts U.S manufacturers at a competitive disadvantage in
lvorld markets.
[ . ]
Yet, despite the achievements ofthese and other of America's premier manufac-
turers, without the development of an advanced Nll capable oftransnritting data
quickly and effrciently from one application to another inside and outside their
operations, most businesses rvill renrain isoiated and incapable of integrating
their applications interacting with other companies, suppliers, and customers in
a timelv and cost-effective manner.
ln an attempt to remedy this situation, U S companies and government agen-
cies are beginning to develop, demonstrate, and promote Nll-related manufac-
turing applications and services. These activities take the form of industrial ex-
tension services. enterprise integration and electronic commerce applications,
and R&D consortia. "'*
Die Bemühungen in den U. S.A. zur Etablierung einer nationalen Intbrmations-lnfrastruktur
(NII) werden also als rvesentlich betrachtet. damit die amerikanische Wirtschaft auf dem
Weltmarkt konkurrenzftihig bleiben kann.
, IITF CAT I991