By: Ted Bridis, Associated Press Writer (AP) Despite concerns about privacy and security, chief executives at some of the nation's leading technology companies believe that by 2005, consumers will trust Internet businesses as much as they trust traditional merchants.
The executives also believe that computers will become increasingly ubiquitous by decade's end, and that average citizens in developed countries will stay in continuous contact with the Internet. They expressed confidence in the growth of online sales between businesses and predicted that government and the health care industry will conduct most services digitally.
These statements were compiled from a survey of a Washington trade group, the Business Software Alliance (BSA) , that includes the heads of IBM, Microsoft, Intel, Apple, and Compaq.
"When the top executives of a very generous industry, in terms of campaign contributions, pronounce their legislative agenda, members of Congress are going to listen," said Steve Weiss of the Washington-based Center for Responsive Politics, a watchdog group. "The industry has found that a lot of the items on its wish list have been met in recent years and have a good chance of being met in the future."
The software alliance planned to formally disclose results from the survey Wednesday at its technology summit in Washington. The results were compiled by ESC Co., a consulting firm.
"These are meaningful, significant forecasts about where we're headed," said Robert Holleyman, head of the software alliance.
Predictably, the technology executives expressed strong concerns about software theft, especially internationally, and rated piracy as one of the top barriers to the growth of e-commerce. Surprisingly, though, they ranked consumer fears about privacy and security as more formidable barriers, even though the industry has discouraged government regulation over online privacy.
"If consumers feel confident that their online interaction, whether commercial or personal, is private and secure, then e-commerce will flourish," one executive wrote. "But if they don't have that confidence, then you can forget about any future for e-commerce."
Three BSA member companies -- Entrust Inc., Network Associates Inc., and Symantec Corp. -- primarily sell Internet security products and services.
"These companies are listened to, and having their CEOs say that privacy and security are important is of real significance," said Alan Davidson, who studies privacy and security regulations for the Washington-based Center for Democracy and Technology, a civil liberties group.
Other results from the survey:
* Computers will become an integral part of every classroom in the United States by 2005.
* A paucity of high-speed Internet connections, especially overseas, will limit the growth of e-commerce.
* Internet advertising will rise as a revenue source through 2005.
* Wireless radio spectrum, through which companies will transmit Internet data to handheld devices, will be freely traded by 2010.
On the Net:
Business Software Alliance: http://www.bsa.org
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