Enabling Technology and Trade in business and professional services

Background

This report focuses on the impact of enabling technologies on seven of Canada's leading business and professional service industries: architectural services, commercial education and training, computer and information technology (IT) services, consulting engineering, geomatics and geographic information services (GIS), legal services, and management consulting. The analysis of global trends is based on a review of the international business literature regarding new technologies and the use of enabling technologies by business and professional service firms, plus Statistics Canada's recent publication, Innovation in Dynamic Service Industries (December 1998). The following international policy-related documents were also reviewed:

• American Enterprise Institute, The Borderless Economy: Global Trade Rules and the Internet (1998);
• Australian Coalition of Service Industries, australia.com: Australia's Future Online (1997);
• OECD, Economic and Social Impact of Electronic Commerce (1998);
• UNCTAD, Telecommunications, Business Facilitation, and Trade Efficiency (1997);
• WTO, Electronic Commerce and the Role of the WTO (1998).

Interviews were also conducted with 53 Canadian and U.S. key informants representing the seven sectors being targeted:

• architectural services (4),
• commercial education and training (6),
• computer/IT services (9),
• consulting engineering (13),
• geomatics/GIS (6),
• legal services (5),
• management consulting (10).

Table of Contents