Skip to main content

Denmark Tops Global Tech Rankings

The World Economic Forum has published its Global Information Technology Report 2006–2007 “Network Readiness Index” (PDF), an assessment of 122 countries’ ability to take advantage of information and communication technologies, both in terms of their adoption and deployment but also taking into consideration the nations’ overal business climates, government policies and regulation, and the preparedness and technology stances of key stakeholders.

Last year, the United States reclaimed the top spot in the survey; this year, Denmark claims the number one slot, while the U.S. slips six places, also being beaten out by Sweden, Singapore, Finland, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

Recommended Videos

“Leveraging ICT [information and communications technologies] is increasingly becoming an essential instrument for countries and national stakeholders to ensure continued prosperity for their people,” said Irene Mia, Senior Economist of the Global Competitiveness Network at the World Economic Forum, and co-editor of the 361-page report. “Nordic countries have shown how an early focus on education, innovation and promotion of ICT penetration and diffusion is a winning strategy for increased networked readiness and competitiveness. Denmark, in particular, has benefited from very effective government e-leadership, reflected in early liberalization of the telecommunications sector, a first-rate regulatory framework and large availability of e-government services.”

What contributed to the United States’ slip in the rankings? Low rate of mobile telephone usage, low quality of math and science education, and lack of government leadership in information technology. Arguing in the U.S.’s favor: a strong market environment which makes it easy to set up businesses, get loans, and access market capital.

Chad, Burundi, Angoloa, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh rounded out the bottom of the 122 nations surveyed in the report.

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
How to change margins in Google Docs
Laptop Working from Home

When you create a document in Google Docs, you may need to adjust the space between the edge of the page and the content --- the margins. For instance, many professors have requirements for the margin sizes you must use for college papers.

You can easily change the left, right, top, and bottom margins in Google Docs and have a few different ways to do it.

Read more
What is Microsoft Teams? How to use the collaboration app
A close-up of someone using Microsoft Teams on a laptop for a videoconference.

Online team collaboration is the new norm as companies spread their workforce across the globe. Gone are the days of primarily relying on group emails, as teams can now work together in real time using an instant chat-style interface, no matter where they are.

Using Microsoft Teams affords video conferencing, real-time discussions, document sharing and editing, and more for companies and corporations. It's one of many collaboration tools designed to bring company workers together in an online space. It’s not designed for communicating with family and friends, but for colleagues and clients.

Read more
Microsoft Word vs. Google Docs
A person using a laptop that displays various Microsoft Office apps.

For the last few decades, Microsoft Word has been the de facto standard for word processors across the working world. That's finally starting to shift, and it looks like one of Google's productivity apps is the heir apparent. The company's Google Docs solution (or to be specific, the integrated word processor) is cross-platform and interoperable, automatically syncs, is easily shareable, and perhaps best of all, is free.

However, using Google Docs proves it still has a long way to go before it can match all of Word's features -- Microsoft has been developing its word processor for over 30 years, after all, and millions still use Microsoft Word. Will Google Docs' low barrier to entry and cross-platform functionality win out? Let's break down each word processor in terms of features and capabilities to help you determine which is best for your needs.
How does each word processing program compare?
To put it lightly, Microsoft Word has an incredible advantage over Google Docs in terms of raw technical capability. From relatively humble beginnings in the 1980s, Microsoft has added new tools and options in each successive version. Most of the essential editing tools are available in Google Docs, but users who are used to Word will find it limited.

Read more