Photo courtesy of Steve Rhode on Flickr

If New Zealand businesses were to use the internet more efficiently, they could add $34 billion to the economy, a new study has found.

The research, The Value of Internet Services to New Zealand Businesses, was funded by Innovation Partnership members Internet New Zealand and Google, and conducted by Sapere Research Group.

It shows that businesses that use Internet services extensively are 6% more productive than average businesses in their industry. And Compared to low-users, heavy Internet users are 73% more productive.

The paper concluded that getting all New Zealand businesses to make the most of the Internet could add $34 billion to the economy through increased productivity and efficiency.

Murray Sherwin, Chair of the Innovation Partnership, said the Internet could have been purpose-built for New Zealand, yet many businesses aren’t using it to its full potential.

“We talked to businesses across New Zealand, from the tourism and retail sectors, to dairy farmers and professional services businesses,” Mr Sherwin said.

“While we found that the Internet is having a positive impact on productivity, too many businesses aren’t using the tools available to unlock the Internet’s potential.”

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