Measuring the Digital Economy: a New Perspective

This new compendium of indicators on the digital economy replaces OECD's Information Technology Outlook series with a more extensive range of collected data placed in a wider economic context. It describes the main trends in industries and businesses supplying goods and services within the digital economy and looks at the impact of IT diffusion and applications, as well as the growing importance of network effects as the use of IT expands. It describes recent market dynamics and gives a detailed overview of the globalization of the information and communication technology (ICT) sector. It also analyzes the increasingly important software sector and examines the growth in electronic commerce as well as some of the barriers to its expansion.

This volume also looks at developments in the provision and use of ICT skills, mismatches between supply and demand, and potential remedies. Finally, it provides an overview of IT policies in OECD countries, particularly those aimed at expanding the supply and use of ICT skills and overcoming the digital divide.