Bridging the digital divide

Various institutes and communities in Taiwan are making effort to create business opportunities through e-commerce and teaching computer skills to disadvantaged groups. Taiwan's Small and Medium Enterprise Administration (SMEA) has been sponsoring a project to bridge the digital divide for SMEs. The operators provide technical assistance and counseling on e-commerce to SMEs around Taiwan that are seeking new opportunities. The Ministry of Education has been setting up digital opportunity centers (DOC) to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural areas. The DOC also serves as a computer lab and a venue for recreational Internet surfing for students by day and also provides free courses on basic software applications for adults in the night. Microsoft has selected 13 aboriginal villages and helped them promote their culture and ecotourism service through e-commerce and training in IT. It has started a project, Women Up, which is company's main digital divide initiative in Taiwan.