Companies Urged to Close the ‘Divide’

Technology companies should support charities that are working to close the so-called digital divide, a new report says.

The report by the Conference Board, a New York research group financed by 3,000 companies, says that closing the divide separating those who have access to computers and the Internet and those who do not makes good business sense because it would open up new demand for high-technology goods and services and expand the pool of skilled technology workers. It also suggests another benefit to companies: Non-profit groups they support would probably be willing to test newly developed products.

The report touts the benefits of what it calls digital partnerships and offers examples of companies that have teamed up with charities to help provide Internet access to people and organizations in low-income neighborhoods.

Copies of the report, “Community Connections: Strategic Partnerships in the Digital Industries,” can be obtained from the Conference Board’s customer-service department at (212) 339-0345 or from the publications section of the board’s Web site at http://www.conference-board.org. Refer to publication No. 1254-99-RR. The report costs $45 for Conference Board members and $180 for non-members.