It’s hard to imagine business without the internet. It’s integrated into all areas of enterprise - making operations more dynamic, efficient and profitable. Yet, according to a recent report by PwC, there are 10 million people in the UK who have never been online, and worryingly 4 million of this group are also socially excluded. That’s a staggering 10 million potential customers, employees, stakeholders and investors who are excluded from the digital world.
We’re delighted to announce that Optial has become an official partner of Race Online 2012. Led by the UK’s Digital Champion Martha Lane Fox, Race Online 2012 is a landmark challenge which has one proposed mission – to create life enhancing opportunities for the 4 million socially excluded adults who have never been online. It’s a fantastic opportunity to join a movement that already has support from the likes of Skype, Microsoft, Google, and McDonalds and we’re asking all our network of associated organisations to sign up and get involved too.
Urging all stakeholders to lay down a Digital Promise that will help inspire, educate and train the 4 million socially excluded people in the UK who are currently offline, Chris O’Brien, CEO of Optial said: ‘The macro-economic environment makes the Race Online 2012 challenge an issue of urgency for all businesses, no matter what the size. Getting the UK near 100% online will create significant efficiency savings, attract investment, open opportunities and improve work force skills.
‘Race Online 2012 wants any organisation of any size to get involved and help tackle the issue. From encouraging business partners to sign up, to teaching friends and family to get online, or by donating old IT equipment locally - there are opportunities for all businesses to make a difference. It’s simple to sign up and it only takes five minutes to register’.
Please click here http://www.raceonline2012.org/get-involved to become an official Race Online 2012 partner, where you can explain what your organisation is doing or can do to help make the UK one of the first countries in the world to establish a fully online, internet enabled society.