DOHA: Online marketing and customer service provided by business establishments in Qatar have seen a major growth over the past three years, shows 'Qatar's ICT Landscape 2016: Business' report released yesterday by The Ministry of Transport and Communications.
Internet penetration among business establishments has shown a steady increase since 2010 and currently stands at 70 percent, said the report, citing 2015 data. Computer penetration in this segment has remained flat at 76 percent.
Web presence nearly doubled from 20 percent in 2010 to 39 percent in 2015; however it has remained relatively flat since 2012. Much progress can be observed in terms of increased online activities, including use of online marketing and customer support, e-banking, social media, and e-government services.
Internet activities that have shown a great deal of growth at business establishments include marketing products and services online, increasing from 27 percent in 2012 to 42 percent in 2015; and providing online customer service, with an increase from 15 percent to 36 percent during the same period.
There are 44,439 business establishments (excluding specific government bodies) in Qatar employing 1.2 million people, according to the report. At least half of the business establishments using the Internet reported being satisfied with the speed and reliability of Internet services.
Business establishments were least satisfied with the cost of IT products and services (31 percent of respondents were satisfied), the availability of desired telecom services (33 percent satisfied), and the cost of Internet services (38 percent satisfied). Business establishments identified key areas where government support is expected in the future including improvement of ICT infrastructure, cited by 54 percent, and development of ICT skills (37 percent.)
About 83 percent of business establishments believe their businesses have benefited from ICT (Information, Communication, Technology), with nearly half saying that ICT helps them access customers in new geographies and expand their potential market.
Improved quality of products and services was cited as a key benefit by 37 percent of surveyed businesses, followed by faster delivery (30 percent) and better customer relationship management (23 percent).
In addition, following the worldwide trend, the ICT industry is helping to fuel the growth and diversification of Qatar's economy. While the ICT industry in Qatar is still mainly import dependent, all leading ICT products and services are currently available in Qatar, mainly through resellers and service providers.
The ICT enterprises have largely benefited from ICT-related government projects and view the government as a key driver in the future growth of the sector. Around 83 percent of the ICT enterprises in Qatar reported having worked with government organisations at least once between 2012 and 2014, and about one-quarter reported working on more than 10 government projects.
The study, based on a large-scale survey of 1,093 business establishments spread across industry sectors, was conducted between March 2015 and May 2015. In addition, in-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 300 ICT providers during that same period.
Moving forward, the economic growth of Qatar (27 percent) and the increasing use of IT solutions in all industries (25 percent) were cited by the ICT industries interviewed as top two drivers of ICT industry expansion in Qatar. In addition, nearly 40 percent of the ICT enterprises also reported that government initiatives, the FIFA World Cup, and the Qatar National Vision 2030 also play a critical role in driving the ICT market.
© The Peninsula 2016
