Acceptance of Technology in the Home

Israel has firmly established itself as the most computerized country in the Middle East; it even surpasses some Western European nations. In 1997, more than 250,000 PCs were sold in Israel with a population of 6 million, compared with 102,000 sold in Egypt with a population of 60 million, and just under 300,000 sold in Turkey with a population of 65 million.

Israel also leads the Middle East with the highest penetration rate of PCs in private homes . There is a personal computer in nearly one out of two households, a ratio similar to that of the United States, Canada, and a very few European and Far Eastern countries . In recent years , the education system has purchased tens of thousands of computers for use by students, from kindergarten through university age.

Compared with other so-called high-tech tigers , such as South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan, Israel is unique in that it is a true high-tech country, with a highly developed domestic market for computing and telecommunications. Israel is also a quick adopter of advanced technologies. Local expenditure on information technology is estimated at $2.4 billion in 1997, with a steady annual growth rate of 12% to 15% compared with worldwide expenditure on information technology totalling about $700 billion, with a five-year compound annual growth rate of about 10%.