The World Economic Forum recently issued its annual Global Information Technology Report 2016, featuring the latest data on Networked Readiness Index, which assesses the factors, policies and institutions that enable a country to fully leverage information and communication technologies for increased competitiveness and well-being.
This year, countries were evaluated in accordance with four categories of indicators: the general environment to create and use technologies; network readiness in terms of the availability of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) infrastructure; the use of new technologies by the government, private sector and individuals; economic and social impact of new technologies.
Three leaders of the rating from the previous year retained their positions – Singapore, Finland and Sweden. Kazakhstan holds the leading position among the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS countries) and heads a regional rating.
According to the development of legislation in the field of ICT, Kazakhstan ranked 38th this year, which is 10 levels higher than in 2015. In comparison to the past year, the country went 15 positions up concerning internet access in schools, reaching the 41st place.
The time required and the number of procedures needed to start a business in the country indicators put Kazakhstan in the top 30 countries in the world. In comparison to 2015, the situation has positively changed and the country is currently ranked 26th and 22nd respectively.
The Network Readiness Index is a comprehensive ICT development index, which has been issued by the World Economic Forum and INSEAD international business school since 2002 as part of special series of annual reports on the development of the information society in countries of the world. In 2013, the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management by the Cornell University joined the project. The collected data is used as analytical tool for building comparative ratings, which reflect the development level of the information society in different countries.
