David Svendsen, the head of
Microsoft UK,
Tuesday savaged UK attitudes to the Internet in his keynote address
at Internet World ’99 in London.
He not only attacked the
government’s record in formulating e-commerce policy, but he
also criticised UK business for its slowness in grasping
online opportunities.
“Time is running out, and it may already be too late,” said
Svendsen, warning that the chance to get onto the
e-commerce bandwagon would not last for long.
Among his specific criticisms, Svendsen referred to the
government’s slowness in dealing with the issues that
face a rapidly-moving industry. In particular, he pointed
to the difficulties in bringing out the Electronic Commerce
Bill and the government’s alleged attempts to control the
Internet.
Even the promise to deliver all government services
by 2008 was “three years too late,” according to Svendsen.
Nor did Svendsen end at that point. He lamented the fact
that not enough people are online in the UK — and that
those who are online do not use the Internet effectively.
Worst of all: not enough people attended Svendsen’s talk,
a fact to which he drew attention before beginning his
address.