Computing and Internet Diffusion
Overview: Bahrain, due to its small size has a very limited Internet usage base but it is growing with the development of the Internet demand there. Batelco is the largest Internet and web based provider in the island and also develops the physical infrastructure for the IT.
Recent estimates indicate that Bahrain has 32,500 Internet users. It was ISPs in Bahrain that first provided Internet service to parts of neighboring Saudi Arabia.Bahrain has the highest education and post graduation rate not only in the Arabian Gulf but in the entire region and has a lot of potential to be on the road of a successful IT development center. From the past couple of years, the country has progressed from being a minimal Banking sector to becoming the strongest on shore and off shore IT banking utility based Hub and most of the Banking activities are carried with the use of Internet. Because the country’s leaders were very capable of ensuring the successful promotion of laying a huge and speedy Internet service throughout the country.
Due to the relative small size and population, locals and around 700,000, the Kingdom of Bahrain is only served by one host and the main Internet needs are encompassed by Batelco, (Bahrain Telecommunications Company). A fact number for number of web sites is not currently available but accessing into bahrain cyber net (1)lets one find a lot of business related questions and answers for Bahrain and is therefore, a very informative and well guided website.
One of the premier companies that fully takes advantage of the essential
components of E-Commerce (receiving electronic input, sending electronic
data, electronic online transactions) is the Bahrain Telecommunications
company called Batelco. Those companies vary from insurance companies that
allow registration online as well as e-payments, and other good selling
businesses like flower, chocolates stores and shops in malls, for example,
as Marks and Spencer (2).
The percentage of web sites is for each big company or organization that
has its weight has developed a web site to inform or serve their visitors.
All government sector developed electronic services for those ministries
that needs to serve queuing visitors as the government has a plan to move
the whole paper work into e-government.
The Web users as a percent of the whole population are considered to be
around 60% (personal view about the young generation) but the actual data
constitutes of around 22% (Mazen Al Marzooq)(3).
The PC’s per 1000 people would be roughly around 400 personal computers
per 1000 people, as this figure is estimated through one of the biggest
computer selling business (Mazen Al Marzooq). Moreover, PC’s per 1000 in
business are tough to figure since banks have 100% employee’s with computer
skills to run their business sector, as on the other hand some construction
organizations would have less computerized employees to run their business.
An estimate of figure would be around 500 computers per 1000 employees within
an organization. Finally, there is only one internet service provider which
is Batelco and it serves the whole country and some of the neighboring countries.
(3)Mazen Al Marzooq “Mantaq Computer Agency”; Manama, Bahrain 2003