Backward Italy... but good possibilities

There are three things I would like to say at the very beginning of this new column. First of all, I tend to speak my mind very candidly; and some of my opinions may be controversial. I am always willing to hear other people's opinions, with interest and respect. Silvio Ceccato is well known in Italy for his teachings in cybernetics, but he is also a teacher of humanity. He often quotes a saying that sounds Confucian: If you give me a coin and I give you a coin, we both have one coin. If I give you an idea and you give me an idea, each of us has two ideas. Information and diversity are richness. I hope to increase my wealth of ideas by exchanging thoughts with the readers of this column - and of everything else I write.

My second observation is that if today I discuss numbers, I don't plan to do so very often. There are too many numbers floating around on the internet, and often they are quite meaningless - or confusing. We can ignore them. The net is not, and never will be, a "mass market"; it's an environment in which small numbers can be quite important.

Finally - sometimes, when I say that the net is in its infancy and there's a long road ahead of us, calls me a "pessimist". Quite to the contrary, it takes a considerable degree of optimism to believe, as I do, that the net is important and potentially a major revolution, in society as a whole as well as in marketing (it can, sometimes, be "electronic commerce" but certainly is not just that). So far, there is not much; and most of it is done poorly. Optimism can not be based on delusions or exaggerated expectations, that lead only to disappointment. It must be based on a serious evaluation of facts (that often are not encouraging) and on asking ourselves how we can do things better.

Let's look at his little graph, that is based on a simple analysis of publicly available data:

Internet hosts in European Union countries in relation to GNP

(Based on data by RIPE - Réseaux IP Européens - December 30, 1997)

Italy is way behind. Our country has 12 percent of Europe's GNP, 14 percent of the motorcars, 10 percent of the telephones... but only 4 percent of the net. And we are not catching up. In the second half of 1997 Italy has a 1 percent monthly increase of hostcount, against a European average of 2.5 percent in the same period.

Should we have tantrums and weep? That's a waste of time and temper. We should roll up our sleeves and try to fix the problem. We can do it. Many Italian companies have imagination, patience, consistency, flexibility, a dedication to service, an ability to adjust to change - and to sell worldwide. They are ideally suited to win on the net and with the net. The problem is not technology; it's culture, mentality and finding the right approach. That is what I shall try to discuss in the following issues of this column.