One third of Europe's population will be routinely working with new technologies by 2003. Take-up of mobiles, PCs and internet access is on a rapidly rising curve, says technology specialist Forrester Research.

In some countries, take-up will out-strip the US. In Sweden, for example, market penetration of PCs has reached almost 75%.

The number of adults with mobile telephones in Europe is set to hit 100M within a few years, and Forrester expects these to figure in a strong shift towards internet use through non-PC devices.

But, the researchers warn, all these trends should not be taken to mean that Europe is becoming one homogeneous market. Technology may be border-less, but political, cultural and (in many cases) business practices are not.

The key message is that technology can provide a ready - and essential - foundation for working in Europe, but it is only the starting point.

Elliott Chase