In recent years there has been a greater interest in a "digital economy". This new economy is surviving and doing well, despite the fact that there has been a decrease in IT investing in the last two years. Even with the decrease, IT is still going strong. This decrease, which occurred only recently, followed on the heels of a huge boon in IT activity and investment during the 1990's (Price, 2002). The idea of a digital economy is not new. It has been dreamed about for years. The problem was that technology had not advanced far enough to make the digital economy a reality yet. Now that it has, the IT sector is moving forward in an effect to change the economy of the entire world into a digital economy filled with technology and e-commerce, which will offer great convenience and also great speed when doing business on virtually any level from the simple consumer purchase to the large, multi-billion dollar corporate deal. .

             There are several important characteristics of a digital economy. First, the physical movement of people, things, money, etc., will not be needed. Everything that needs to be done will be done electronically. There will also be an urgent, rapid globalization of economic activity (Ministry, 1997). In other words, the way that business is done will change completely. Some of that is already being experienced in the way that many people now shop online for items and have them delivered directly to the intended recipients, instead of waiting around in long lines in crowded stores, only to find out that the store is out of whatever it is the person wanted anyway. Digital economy will stop all of that, and it will do much more. That is just a small and simple example. There are, of course, much larger ramifications for businesses that deal with a great deal of money, time, and manpower all over the world every day. .

             Second, contracts and other means of securing and sealing business deals will all be done electronically (Ministry, 1997).