A model for the assessment and development of Internet-based information and communication services in small and medium enterprises

Young engineers understand technology very well, but they usually have poor skills on business practices. For this reason, they should appreciate tools that help in assessing small companies from a combined viewpoint of business and technology. In this article we present such a tool in the form of a model that helps to understand how an enterprise is using information and communication technologies (ICTs) and “how” and “when” a company should incorporate new technological elements. The model can also be applied to marketing research to understand the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) emergent market related to ICTs and to plan government policies devoted to fostering ICT introduction in SMEs. The model has been applied successfully in the assessment of 500 SMEs, and also as an innovative active learning tool for higher education.