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Worldwide B2B revenues to pass one trillion
Apr 01 2004: eMarketer predicts that worldwide B2B ecommerce revenues will surpass USD1.4 trillion by the end of 2003.

By 2004, worldwide ecommerce revenues are expected to total USD2.7 trillion.

According to the research company’s latest report, the US will account for over one-half of worldwide revenues this year.

At the end of 2003, B2B ecommerce revenues in the US will total USD721 billion. By 2004, the US ecommerce revenues are expected to reach USD1.01 trillion.

The report also reveals that 70 percent of companies have experimented with purchasing online, but less than 10 percent of their total spending is currently being channelled via the Internet.

Worldwide Net traffic to rise
Mar 03 2004: IDC predicts that the volume of Internet traffic generated by end users worldwide will nearly double annually over the next five years.

According to the company’s latest research, Internet traffic will rise from 180 petabits per day in 2002 to 5,175 petabits per day by the end of 2007.

By 2007, IDC expects Internet users will access, download and share the information equivalent of the entire Library of Congress more than 64,000 times over, every day.

though growth in the number of Internet users worldwide will continue to be an important traffic driver over the next five years, IDC predicts that broadband adoption will be the main driver in Internet traffic.

By 2007, IDC estimates that consumers will account for 60 percent of all Internet traffic generated, versus roughly 40 percent for business users.

Nearly 40 percent of US workers online
Feb 20 2003: Over 50 million Americans are currently online at work, according to a new report from eMarketer and The Wall Street Journal.

This is equivalent to 37 percent of the total working population.

Of these people, 70 percent have a college degree or higher, while over 50 percent come from households earning USD75,000 or more per annum.

The study also indicates that 60 percent of consumer online dollars are spent in the workplace, compared to just 36 percent spent at home.

According to the study findings around 86 percent of at-work Internet users have broadband access in their workplace.

Global Internet Statistics (by Language)

OPA: Online Most Favored of All Media

The Online Publishers Association (OPA), in conjunction with Frank N. Magid Associates, Inc., released their Generational Media Study today, finding the Internet has edged out TV as the medium of choice for 18 to 54-year-olds. Further, the Internet ranks highly across generations when compared to more traditional forms of media.

OPA president Michael Zimbalist called the study, the final report in a research series primarily focused on 18 to 34-year-olds, a "bookend on behavior and observations."

Some 45 percent of the 1,235 survey participants indicate the Internet is their top choice for media, followed by TV at 35 percent. Trailing much further behind are books, radio, newspapers, videos/DVDs, video/computer games, and magazines.

"The Internet has become pervasive," said Zimbalist. "If you think about five years ago, it wouldn't be as easy as going into the park and getting Internet access. It's much different from going upstairs, booting up, dialing up."

An Internet preference becomes more pronounced as the study drills down into the generational breaks. Roughly half the youngest survey participants — 18 to 24-year-olds — cite the Internet as their top choice if they had to choose only two media for the rest of the lives; compared to 44 percent of 25 to 34-year-olds, and 43 percent of 35 to 54-year-olds.

On the other side of the media coin, television was the top choice for 39 percent of 35 to 54-year-olds, compared to 37 percent of 25 to 34-year-olds, and just 28 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds.

"You can see that across all generations, the Internet is the medium where they are all spending more time than a year ago," said Zimbalist, referring to the roughly 50 percent across the age groups who say they engaged in the activity more recently.

"About 80 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds regularly use the Internet, considerably higher than any other age group," noted Zimbalist, adding there are striking behavioral similarities across the ages.

The Internet outdistanced magazines for product and music information, but fell way behind TV for viewing video. "The one thing we think is interesting is the head-to-head comparison. The Internet is qualitatively as good at or better than other media," he said.

"Another key finding," Zimbalist added, "is the Internet has become so familiar, it is not a new medium anymore."

Survey participants said they would turn to the Internet first for information about products, hobbies and interests, music, gaming, and entertainment. "People are starting to look at the Internet as fun, not just a purposeful utility. It kind of holds true across the ages," Zimbalist noted.

However, participants report television is their primary source for news and entertainment, but Zimbalist said the norm is for consumers to move back and forth between media. For example, viewers see news on television, then look it up on the Web; or, they avoid waiting on long lines in stores to shop online.

These media usage observations recall findings from an April study the OPA conducted with Greystone Communications. That ethnographic study revealed 18 to 34 year-olds often use media in tandem with one another, alternating between foreground and background consumption.

While not part of the Generational Study, Zimbalist shared the Internet scored the lowest among the other forms of media in regard to attitudes about ads and whether they were noticed. "Advertisers are now paying more attention to the quality of their creative online. We see an uptake in rich media."