Greece

    National IT Strengths and Weaknesses
 
 
 

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Alexander the Great at the Battle of Issus
Archeological Museum of Naples, Italy

    Greece can claim to have a number of strengths, as far as information technologynis concerned. One has to be careful, though, to identify the true potential of the country and not think of everything as completely positive or auspicious. After all, Greece still lags behind the most advanced nations in this field and apparent opportunities may not be that positive after all. On the other hand, we should always keep in mind the tremendous effort Greece is making to adopt IT as much as possible. An effective policy may be just what needed for Greece to record rapid progress in IT.


    Among the strengths of Greece in the IT world, we should definitely include the high quality of its IT-related personnel. The human capital is well trained, while wage levels are way below the European average (even in relation to Portugal or Ireland). The telecommunications infrastructure is improving rapidly and will keep up with any new improvements from now on. Use of new technologies is not yet widespread, yet this brings forward the need for acquisition of software and hardware, creating substantial business opportunities.
    There are certain weaknesses though, for the IT sector in Greece. Although the number of young persons who have a good understanding of IT is high, the majority of customers still does not feel knowledgeable about information technology. This will provide a hindrance in the diffusion of new technologies in the coming years.
    The policy followed in Greece is the hard one. Train as many people as possible: not only students at schools, but also entrepreneurs, as well as small shopkeepers, who could benefit from IT but still do not know how this would help them. Of course this costs a lot, particularly for a country with a not so strong economy yet. Then again, this is a financial sacrifice that will bring benefits; it is, in reality, a long-term investment for the country.