"Digital Prosperity: Understanding the Economic Benefits of the Information Technology Revolution"

Click here to read the full report.

ITIF Description: "There have been surprisingly few attempts to catalogue what is known about the economic impact of information and communications technology (IT). In a new report, ITIF does just that, examining the impact of IT in five key areas: 1) productivity; 2) employment; 3) more efficient markets; 4) higher quality goods and services; and 5) innovation and new products and services. The report finds that the integration of IT into virtually all aspects of the economy and society is creating a digitally-enabled economy that is responsible for generating the lion’s share of economic growth and prosperity, both here and abroad, including in developing nations. Importantly, the “IT engine” does not appear likely to run out of gas anytime soon and should power robust growth for at least the next decade, provided that policy makers take the right steps. Toward that end the report lays out five key public policy principles for driving digital prosperity: 1) give the digital economy its due; 2) actively encourage digital innovation and transformation of economic sectors; 3) use the tax code to spur IT investment; 4) encourage universal digital literacy and adoption; and 5) do no harm."

This report, posted today, is a product of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. ITIF is a non-profit public policy think tank. It seeks to advance a pro-productivity, pro-innovation and pro-technology public policy agenda internationally, in the United States as a whole, and the individual states of the United States. According to the New York Times, ITIF "work is supported by companies like I.B.M., Cisco Systems and eBay, as well as by the Communications Workers of America and foundation grants." The website of this small thinktank provides news and reports, as well as information about the organization itself.

Read the New York Times article by Steve Lohr about the study's findings.