Manningham On-Line—Using Global Technologies for Building Local Electronic Commerce Business

The extraordinary increase in internet access and the growth of internet purchases in countries such as Australia over the last five years would suggest a significant culture shift is occurring at the grassroots level in communications, information access and purchasing practices. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, at August 1999 home Internet access had increased by 27% in the 12 months previous to August 1999, with nearly 23% of all Australian households (1.6 million) being online. Further, an estimated 5.6 million adults—or 41% of Australia’s total adult population—accessed the Internet at some time between August 1998 and August 1999. The survey also indicated an increase in internet-based e-commerce transactions, with nearly 5% of Australian adults (652,000) using the Internet to purchase or order goods or services for their own private use in the 12 months to August 1999 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1999).