INFORMATION SOCIETY
... different ways. The European Commission has adopted the term Information Society, emphasising the fact that the applications and development of information infrastructures will have significant social as well as ecnomical impact. Information Society is defined as a society where individuals - whether they are consumers or employees - use information intensively. The Information Society implies that its citizens possess the ability to: * access immense quantities of information and entertainment on demand, * interact with and manipulate large quantities of data, * transact remotely and * communicate while on the move. The Information Society is still only a set goal rather than something that has been achieved. No-one knows what form the Information Society will take in the end but already the benefits of its emerging products and services are clear. The development of the Information Society is likely to have an impact not only on the economy but also on business and social structures. Business, consumer and government users alike will be able to enjoy greater convenience, timeliness, control, choice and quality. The restrictions of time and place will be a part of history. In the Information Society more and more people, both in their private life and at work, will depend on modern communications. To be able to communicate and interact, whether by telephone, fax, e-mail etc., will be a crucial and decisive factor for every citizen...