• EMPOWERING COMPANIES: 80% of companies online are using the Internet to explore new markets or trying entirely new businesses, (The Economist / IBM, May 2000).
• EMPOWERING DOCTORS: Stanford University’s medical Web site can answer a question raised by a patient 87% of the time. (The New York Times, May 30, 2000).
• EMPOWERING INVESTORS: According to a recent study by PRNewswire and The National Association of Investors Corporation (NAIC), 68% of investors visit a company's website before making an investment decision on the particular firm. Additionally, 64% primarily choose aggregate financial and investment websites for their investment research. http://www.emarketer.com/estatnews/estats/efinancial_services/20001214_US_OnlineInvestors.html?ref=wn
• EMPOWERING JOURNALISTS: According to public relations firm Burson-Marsteller, more than one-third of print media journalists turn to the internet first to gather information. A smaller 25% of these journalists go directly to their company's library or archive for research information. http://www.emarketer.com/estatnews/estats/edemographics/20001229_journalists.html?ref=wn
• EMPOWERING LAWYERS: 95% of large law firms and 63% of smaller firms use the Web for legal and other related tasks.  (ABA, May 2000).
• EMPOWERING PATIENTS: A majority of the online population think it is somewhat likely that the Internet will help reduce or eliminate frustrations associated with visits to their doctors, according to a survey by Harris Interactive for ARiA Marketing and iMcKesson. http://cyberatlas.com/markets/healthcare/article/0,,10101_564911,00.html
• EMPOWERING PATIENTS: According to a new study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 47% of people who sought health information for themselves online said the information influenced their decisions about health and care. Overall, 52 million Americans have sought health information on the Web, http://www.pewinternet.org/releases/release.asp?id=10
• EMPOWERING PATIENTS: Six in 10 American Net users say they're frustrated because they forget to ask certain health-related questions during their doctor visits. Many believe that the Internet could change that: According to research firm Harris Interactive, 57% of online adults said the Net could reduce or eliminate their frustrations by allowing doctors to respond to a patient's questions via e-mail.
• EMPOWERING SCIENTISTS: Using Internet access, academic scientists can now access analyze genetic sequences for monthly fees under $1,000.  Before these applications were available online, the technology to analyze the sequences was only available to companies that could afford $250,000 licensing fees, $500,000 computer equipment and the staff to manage it. (The Industry Standard, May 29, 2000).
• EMPOWERING, COLLEGE APPLICATIONS: 38% of students said they had filled out their college application online or used a college or university's Web site to print out an application they then mailed. (The New York Times / Art & Science Group, July 5, 2000).
• EMPOWERING, COLLEGE APPLICATIONS: number of student applications submitted to colleges via the Web increased 40% from 1999 to 2000, according to recruiter TMP Worldwide. 88% of the colleges and universities surveyed offered admissions applications on their Web site in 2000, compared with just 65% in 1999.
  

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PLEASE BE ADVISED:

Research organizations differ on many measurements and predictions. Cisco Systems cannot verify the accuracy of all of the findings. We include all credible information to offer a glimpse into the range of estimates and predictions.

Abbreviations / acronyms used herein are defined and explained more fully in the issue briefs available at Cisco’s public policy page. Most common acronyms include DSL (digital subscriber line service, which is high speed Internet access over telephone lines); WAN (wide area network connections link different organizations such as schools across a region); LAN (local area network connections link computers within an organization)