The Digital Divide-How big is the gap?

The digital divide has slowly been closing as technology and the internet have become more accessible to more people. The divide consists of those who do and do not own computers. Another factor thrown into the mix is if you do not own a computer then do you have access to one and if so does it have the internet. In 2003, 70 million American households had one or more computers which was 62% of the population. Of those 70 million households 54% of them had access to the internet. If we compare this to 1984 only 8% of US households owned a computer, what a significant increase. As this digital divide continues to close it creates more opportunity for e-commerce and interactive marketing. The side of the divide without computers has less ability to make purchases online or for that matter safely on line. The majority of users who do not have computers have small opportunities to use public computers and when they do matters of security arise. This may hinder people's desire to purchase online from e-commerce companies. A solution to consider is offering more places for those who do not have computers to gain access. This will not only provide a great service to the population but also a business incentive to help companies be more effective and successful in their e-commercce activities.