The State of the Net

"The Internet is destined to become a pervasive yet unobtrusive force in our lives."

"The Internet has evolved into a state-of-the-art communications matrix through which new ideas and technologies can be shared on a global scale, almost instantaneously."

"This community of current Internet users is without question the most important target universe for marketers of sundry consumer goods and Internet-related products and services."

"Industries and jobs that are not components of knowledge or information work are stagnant or have declining prospects in this country, while knowledge-based occupations continue to grow."

"There are three fundamental issues of importance in the technical arena that all Internet businesses should take time to track."

"Internet users have become older, considerably less male, less educationally advanced, more likely to have families, and more likely to live in regions corresponding to the geographic distribution of the general population."

"A contributing factor to the growth in personal use of the Internet is the likelihood that spouses and children begin using the Internet at home after one spouse becomes exposed to it at work."

"Dependency on email is growing strong, with 59% of all email users reporting using it daily, and 89% who report using it at least weekly."

"Consumers are looking foremost for an affordable online experience that may include email, chat, information access, or transactions."

"Research remains the number one overall business application, followed by business email."

"The Internet provides a truly unique medium for marketing, combining the most desirable elements of conventional media with the capability for an instantaneous call-to-action on the part of the consumer."

"Until true broadband multimedia becomes widely available to consumers, online shopping is not likely to supplant traditional shopping venues so much as to complement them."