Ecommerce: Pacific Rim
A free survey of ecommerce prospects in the Pacific rim countries.
Introduction: Pacific Rim Countries
Japan, Australia, Taiwan and New Zealand would be the countries
of rapid Internet use, predicted a Unesco survey in 1998, {1} and
these countries are now growing markets for ecommerce. And many
more people use mobile phones in Japan than in Europe or (in particular)
America.
36% of Hong Kong household had Internet access by 2000, and the
number of online shoppers in Taiwan doubled over the 1999-2000
period. {2} Some 20m of Korea's 40m people were expected to be
connected up by 2001, and the government is promoting ecommerce.
{3} ComputerWorld Hong Kong believes that the Asia-Pacific Rim
area will account for 32% of non-US online ad spending by 2004.{4}
Of Oracle's 12,000 partners worldwide, 1500 are already located
in the Pacific Rim, {5} with China having the potential for 400
million Internet users. {6} Ecommerce in China was indeed predicted
at $221 million in 2000 and $11.7 billion by 2004. {4} Australia
and New Zealand traditionally look outward, and ecommerce can
provide goods not readily available at home.
Difficulties should not be underestimated, notably political
control (Hong Kong), the preference to act through middlemen (Japan)
and the plethora of languages.
Prospects 2003-4
The July 2002 Economist Information Unit {7} ranks preparedness
for ecommerce in the Pacific Rim countries as follows (USA scoring
8.41)
Country
|
Index
|
Australia
|
8.30
|
Singapore
|
8.17
|
Hong Kong
|
8.13
|
New Zealand
|
7.67
|
Taiwan
|
7.26
|
Korea
|
7.11
|
Japan
|
6.86
|
Thailand
|
3.86
|
China
|
3.64
|
Philippines
|
3.72
|
Indonesia
|
3.29
|
Vietnam
|
2.96
|
While small and medium-sized companies in this region have been
quick to adopt emails, they have been more wary of ecommerce,
generally seeing websites as a means of advertising more than
on online selling. Up to 75% will have their own website by the
end of 2002, but 65% outsource their hosting. {9} China currently
has 56.6 million Internet users, and some 10% have bought something
online. {9} Internet usage (millions) is currently as follows:
{9}
China
|
56.6
|
Japan
|
51.3
|
South Korea
|
27.8
|
Taiwan
|
11.6
|
Australia
|
10.6
|
Hong Kong
|
4.4
|
Singapore
|
2.3
|
New Zealand
|
2.0
|
The greatest potential may therefore lie with China, {10} but
sites will have to be in Chinese, and offer goods and services
acceptable to its communist government.
References and Sources
This page was written in 2003. To obtain a current survey, plus
references and information sources, please consider the e-book.
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