Executive Thought Leadership

In this issue of the Executive Thought Leadership Quarterly, I’m pleased to share the results from the November 1, 2002 Canadian e-Business Initiative launch of the Net Impact Study in Canada. Pierre-Paul Allard, Co-Chair of the Canadian e-Business Initiative and President of Cisco Systems Canada Co, and Dr. Ron McClean, Director, Academic Computing & Technologies at York University’s Schulich School of Business, will discuss the mission-critical findings from this study that help illustrate the true impact of Internet business solutions.

Among the key findings of Net Impact Canada: The Small Business Experience related to Internet use reveals that 50 percent of Canadian small to medium-sized businesses are currently using or implementing Internet business solutions and that customer-focused solutions are the most widely adopted. On average, firms currently using Internet business solutions increased their revenues by 7 percent, and of the various solutions examined, those related to customer acquisition and management delivered both the highest revenue increases and the biggest cost savings.

Thought Leadership

When it comes to Internet business solutions, many people think only large enterprises—thanks to economy of scale—can benefit from the increased revenue and cost savings generated by e-business applications. But based on the findings of the Net Impact Canada Study, they might want to re-examine that notion.

Cisco's Pierre Paul Allard is Co-Chair of the Canadian e-Business Initiative and President of Cisco Systems Canada Co. He shares the findings and his thoughts in the Thought Leader article, "Net Impact Canada Findings."

Guru Q&A

Ron McClean is a professor of Management Science/Information Systems and Director of Academic Computing & Technologies at the Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto, Canada

Cisco: What role does the network play in the wide-scale deployment of Canadian Internet business solutions?

McClean: The network plays a critical role in the overall effectiveness of any Internet business solutions. The network enables companies to take full advantage of the promise of Internet business solutions. The more sophisticated applications require greater bandwidth, so that access to broadband services is a crucial precursor to successful deployment. To date, most urban centers have broadband access; however more than 4200 Canadian communities, representing 22 percent of the population, do not have high-speed access, and the small and medium enterprises within those communities are suffering.

More of McClean's reflections can be found in From the Experts section of the Business Industries and Solutions Web site.

I hope you enjoy this issue of the Executive Thought Leadership Quarterly .