Building an e‐business scenario for small business: the IBM SME Gateway project

After discussing the basis of business value and competitive advantage in today’s economy, this article explores the nature of small business and the increasing interdependence of business practice. An examination of the potential business value of Internet technologies is followed by an analysis of some of the factors that account for the lack of successful small business deployments to date. Drawing upon the lessons learned from the deployment of the SME Gateway in South Africa, we highlight a number of pilot projects illustrating the importance of context in assessing critical success factors. We proceed to explore the role of business services providers and conclude by suggesting a road map for turning the promises of the Internet into reality for small and medium size enterprises.