International Data Corp. (IDC)
reports the amount of commerce conducted over the Web will top
$1 trillion by 2003.
According to IDC, the number of users who make
purchases over the Web will jump from 31 million in 1998 to more than 183 million in 2003, representing 36% of all Web users. Although the number of
Web users is increasing in many foreign countries, Internet commerce is
currently U.S.-centric. In 1998, 56% of Web users resided outside the
United States; however, non-U.S. Internet commerce accounted for only 26%
of worldwide spending.
By 2003, IDC estimates 65% of Web users will be
international, and the United States will account for less than half of
worldwide Internet commerce.
IDC’s report, titled “The Global Market Forecast for Internet Usage and Commerce”, sizes the market for Internet commerce, including the number
of users and devices accessing the Web, the value of commerce transactions
per user, and the number of pages on the Web from 1995 to 2003. The
forecast is segmented by region (the United States, Canada, Western Europe,
Asia/Pacific, Japan, and the rest of world) and user segment.
The market sizings and forecasts included in the report come from IDC’s
Internet Commerce Market Modela, which is based on more than 40,000 primary
research interviews annually in 31 countries and on IDC’s supply-side
forecasts for PCs, network computers, modems, and other technologies.
