IDC's Information Society Index service analyzes and forecasts the state of IT usage and adoption across more than 70 countries around the globe. It provides detailed analysis of IT spending, Internet usage, telecommunications, and social factors. The index, organized into country rankings according to 15 data variables, assists government planners in measuring the progress of their nations in relation to others and provides financial investors and IT suppliers with a tool for analyzing opportunities, drivers, and inhibitors. The service provides analysis of market conditions in smaller, emerging market opportunities in the developing world, including Latin America, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

This service covers the following segments of the information society:

• Personal computers
• IT spending
• Internet usage
• eCommerce
• Broadband
• Wireless
• Education levels
• Civil liberties

Throughout the year, this service will address the following topics:

• Infrastructure installed base
• Broadband/Internet household penetration
• Mobile and wireless adoption
• Government corruption/social barriers
• Emerging market innovation and strategies

Our research addresses the following issues that are critical to your success:

1. Which government policies are necessary to enable the full realization of advanced information societies?
2. Which barriers and inhibitors are preventing IT growth in key emerging markets?
3. What impact will broadband and mobile adoption have on the global information economy in the next five years?
4. What innovation will emerge from the developing world, and how can IT vendors capitalize on emerging market opportunities?

IDC's Information Society Index service examines how nations are positioning themselves to compete in the global information economy. This service reviews the following 15 key data variables in more than 70 nations:

IT spending as a percentage of GDP, software spending, IT services spending, PC penetration, Internet users, home Internet users, mobile Internet users, ecommerce spending, broadband households, wireless subscribers, handset shipments, secondary education levels, tertiary education levels, civil liberties, and government corruption.

This service focuses on the following core research. In addition to the insight provided in this service, IDC may conduct additional research on specific topics, or emerging market segments, via research offerings that require additional IDC funding and client investment.

The initial study provides new rankings, based on 2007 actual data, along with any methodology updates and analysis.

The main study provides detailed analysis of the full index in more than 70 countries and 15 data variables.

This study provides a complete five-year forecast for all data variables, with analysis of leading growth opportunities and inhibitors.

This study provides analysis of emerging markets in the developing world that have not yet developed into information societies, outside the 79 primary country markets analyzed within the central index.

These documents outline key examples of technological innovation in emerging markets in the developing world, including analysis of IT vendor strategy and market opportunities.

IDC offers a complete market intelligence solution customized to meet your business requirements. The array of products and services available to you includes:

• The opportunity to have your specific questions answered through personal interaction with industry experts who cover the topics and markets in your service
• Around-the-clock access to our market intelligence on idc.com, IDC's personalized Web experience
• A view of the market's future with 12 months of continuous intelligence about its direction and the reasons behind it, along with actionable advice for taking advantage of existing and emerging opportunities
• Special client discount pricing on purchases of research from other services
• Complimentary admission to IDC's annual Directions conference, where you'll hear our latest forecasts and network with IDC analysts and other industry professionals
• Complimentary invitations to monthly executive telebriefings, interactive forums designed to provide you with insights about research and strategies directly from IDC analysts

To find out how our flexible packaging options can meet your specific business needs, please contact your IDC sales executive.

As a privately held company, IDC believes that our customers are our primary constituency. A large percentage of every revenue dollar is reinvested back into our products, including more analysts, more geographic coverage, and extensive primary research.

Our steady growth over the past 10-plus years reflects our commitment to investing in our customers.