Information Technology in the
Netherlands
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Government Policies |
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The Dutch Government has taken a very proactive role in its
involvement with information technology as they see IT as essential to the
success of the country. This is evident in the actions taken to make the
Netherlands a major technology center. The government’s leading initiative is
the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) policy that serves as a
framework for examining the country’s current position and what is needed to
improve the ICT sector. The policy established a two-year benchmark so the
Netherlands can measure its relative position in the ICT sphere. In addition,
the government allocates NLG 70 million dollars per year to help build the
information highway.[1] The Dutch pride themselves on their open market economy,
nondiscriminatory treatment of foreign investment, and a strong tradition of
free trade. This has been very evident by the number of companies that have
established operations in the Netherlands. In last year, 94 foreign companies
have opened operations in the Netherlands including Cisco who opened a new
1500 employee European office in Amsterdam. This is shown in the government’s
relationships with foreign companies as they attempt to do whatever is
necessary to encourage investment. [2] The government has built a five-pillar
approach to strengthening the ICT base in Netherlands concentrating on the
following areas. [3]
A. Telecommunications Infrastructure
Infrastructure. · Ensuring
the efficient allocation of frequency space.
B. Know-how and innovation
C. Access and Skills
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Encourage ICT skills
in the (future) work force. D. Regulatory Aspects
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To build confidence in
the information society. E. ICT in the Public Sector
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page......
Last update: December 18, 2000