[commedia] DIGITAL DIVIDE DEEPENING IN UK

[Michelle McGuire]

DIGITAL DIVIDE DEEPENING IN UK

Issue: Digital Divide
A joint study by IBM and Local Futures reveals that new technologies are not
uniting Britain. Rather, the technologies are deepening divides between
urban and rural and rich and poor Britons. Paul Revell, IBM e-business
consultant, suggests that government imposed universal service mandates
could help alleviate the deepening divide. Another finding of the study is
that mobile phones, teleworking and laptops are often not a blessing for
employees. While many employers use technologies to encourage their
employees to work smarter not harder, there are companies taking advantage
of the fact that employees are always available. The authors of the study
suggest that it is time for the UK government to take bold action to ensure
that new technologies do not prove too disruptive to society. For further
information about this study see Local Futures at:
http://www.localfutures.com/.

[SOURCE: BBC News]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1849000/1849343.stm)

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