Quarter of the World's Population Now Accessing the Internet

If there's approximately six billion people on Earth right now, then one-fourth of that is 1.5 billion.  Yes, 1.5 billion people on the face of the planet are accessing the Internet, whether it's through a desktop, laptop, cell phone, or refrigerator.  During the days of AOL, modem static, and 56k bandwidth, the Internet was new commodity known by a number of goofy names, including my not-so-favorite "Information Superhighway."  Now, the Internet is nearly as ubiquitous as water, air, sunshine, and Microsoft Windows.

This is an especially important trend for eCommerce.  According to IDC, by 2012, there will be one billion online buyers for business to consumer purchases.  For business to business transactions, the number will be ten fold.  By 2011, Internet ad spending it expected to grow from $65.2 billion in 2008 to $106.6 billion worldwide.

In 2007, China surpassed the United States as the country with the most Internet users.  Currently, there are 275 million Chinese Internet users.  Within four years, 100 million more Chinese will enter Cyberspace.  That is a large online market for consumer consumption.

These numbers argue for more investment in eCommerce infrastructure.  With that big of a market audience, no business can afford to ignore investments for an online presence.