Press Release 07/07/2009

2009 INFORMATION SOCIETY SURVEY (ESI-Companies)

Basque companies continue to improve their information technology facilities in 2009

69.6% of companies have Internet access and nearly half of them have a website

The beginning of 2009 saw Basque companies continuing to improve their ICT –Information and Communication Technology– facilities, according to Eustat data. However, smaller companies are currently registering the greatest percentage growth, as the largest companies have nearly achieved maximum equipment levels.

Even though there was a slower growth rate this year, this ongoing improvement of the main ICT facilities means that, currently, 76.0% of the establishments have a computer, after increasing by 1.2 percentage points in the last year, 69% have Internet access, as it was up by 3.2 points, and the establishments with email now account for 66.9% of the total, as the figure has improved by 3.4 points. Even though it has only increased by 0.6 percentage points, the mobile phone continues to be the ICT equipment that is most widely used in the Autonomous Community, with 79.8% of Basque establishments having one.

Graph 1: Evolution of ICT facilities in Basque companies. (%)

Source: Eustat

On the other hand, 32.4% of companies have a website, which is 2.1 points up on the previous year. This figure rises up to 46.6% if we only take into account the companies that have Internet.

By provinces, even though the differences are not highly significant, computers, email and Internet are most widely established in the Gipuzkoa establishments, and those in Álava have more mobile telephones and websites, with the establishments of Bizkaia posting slightly lower figures for these technologies.

Companies with 10 or more employees have also improved their ICT facilities, as they have nearly already reached the availability threshold, except with regard to websites.

These percentages are much higher in the establishments with 10 or more employees, and range between the 71.8% that have a website and the 98.2% that have a computer. In addition, 92.1% of them have mobile telephones, 95.9% Internet access and 96.0% email.

Table 1: Establishments with ICT facilities, by province and size of establishment. 2009.

* Difference in percentage points as regards the previous year.

Source: Eustat

As regards the percentage of employees that use these technologies, this remains steady and shows only slight growth. Thus, 62.5% of employed personnel use a computer, 52.8% use email and 52.7% have Internet access.

It should be pointed out that the percentages of employees using these technologies are very similar, regardless of the size of the establishment, due, among other reasons, to the greater progress made in small establishments and to the fact that not all employees have access to these technologies in the larger ones Elsewhere, it can be seen that Bizkaia has the greatest percentage of employees using these technologies, followed by Gipuzkoa and Álava.

Table 2: Employees who use ICT facilities, by province and size of establishment. 2009.

Source: Eustat

Internet access for Basque companies is largely through ADSL

The number of Basque companies with Internet access continues to grow year after year, currently accounting for 69.6% of the total, following an increase of 3.2 percentage points on the previous year. In addition, the most common means of accessing the net remains ADSL lines, whose use increases yearly and now covers 86.7% of the total number of companies with access.

The percentages for the other types of connections are much lower. Thus, 16.4% access Internet by cable, 16.3% by mobile connection (mobile telephone, PDA, USB modem, GSM, GPRS, etc.), RDSI lines account for 7.3% and other landline connections represent by 1.9%.

Table 3: Establishments with Internet access and means of access. (%)

(*) Cable from Others has been separated since 2008

Source: Eustat

Among companies with 10 or more employees, 95.9% have Internet access. ADSL lines are also the most common type of access for companies of this size, used by 90.6%, Then, and also at quite a distance behind, there are the mobile connections (26.3%), cable (19.9%), RDSI lines (10.7%), the modem (7.3%) and other landline connections (5.5%).

As far as the main reasons for the companies using Internet are concerned, these include searching for information, obtaining financial or banking services and carrying out administrative tasks.

71.8% of Basque companies with 10 or more employees are present on the Internet through a website

Companies are increasingly more aware of the importance of being present online through a website. In the last year, companies who are present on the net accounted for 32.4% of the total, following an increase of 2.1 percentage points, while in the case of companies with 10 or more employees, this figure came to 71.8%, up 3.3 points. If we only take into account companies that have Internet connections, these percentages increase to 46.6% for the total and 74.8% in the case of companies with 10 or more employees.

These websites chiefly contain general information concerning the company itself and a list of products and services offered, disclaimers, after-sales services and job opportunities.

As regards the languages in which it can be accessed, Spanish was most outstanding, in 98.1% of cases, in Basque, 35.7%, in English 31.4% and in other languages 14.6%.

Internet access in Basque companies with 10 or more employees is greater than the EU-27 average

Internationally, and comparing homogenous activity and employment data, Basque companies obtain Internet access percentages (97%) that are higher than the average for the European Union (93%), as well as having a high percentage of broadband use (95% compared to 81%).

Graph 2: Establishments with 10 or more employees by Internet access and use of broadband by countries. (%)

Source: Eustat and Eurostat

22.2% of Basque companies with 10 or more employees used e-commerce in 2008

The number of companies that use e-commerce in the Basque Country feel slightly during the last year. In 2008, 15.0% of Basque establishments performed e-commerce operations, following a decrease of 0.3 points with respect to the previous year. This figure was mainly due to the 13.9% who purchased online, down 0.2 percentage points, and, to a lesser extent through, those who used this method for sales, representing a mere 3.4%, which was a decrease of 0.2 points.

These figures were greater in companies with 10 or more employees, where the proportion of those that carried out purchases or sales through the net or via other electronic systems (EDI, Electronic Data Interchange), stood at 22.2%, following growth of 1.8 points. Here too, the greater part of this total was due to those who made electronic purchases, which accounted for 19.1%, down 2.3 points as regards the previous year and, to a lesser extent, due to those who carried out sales using the same channels, which came to 8.%, after an increase in this case of 0.2 points.

For further information:

Basque Statistics Office C/ Donostia-San Sebastián, 1 01010 Vitoria-Gasteiz Tlf:+34-945-01 75 00 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01 E-mail: eustat@eustat.es Contact: José Miguel Escalada Tlf:+34-945-01 75 96 Fax:+34-945-01 75 01 Online press releases: www.eustat.es