In 2023, 31% of enterprises had broadband with a speed of at least 500 Mbps.
Three-quarters (75%) of enterprises used any form of social media in 2023, an increase from 71% in 2019.
More than one-fifth (22%) of enterprises targeted advertising based on users’ web content or searches.
One-third (33%) of small enterprises had internet sales, compared with 47% of medium enterprises, and 51% of large enterprises.
Almost a quarter (23%) of enterprises performed data analytics using transaction records, while one in five performed data analytics using customer information.
In 2023, 52% of enterprises used cloud-based email while 48% used cloud-based office software.
Almost one in ten (8%) of all enterprises used Artificial Intelligence in 2023, compared with 37% of large enterprises.
More than 28% of enterprises used electronic invoicing suitable for automated processing.
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (10 January 2023) released Information Society Statistics - Enterprises 2023.
Commenting on the release, Devin Zibulsky, Statistician in the Business Statistics Division, said: "The Information Society Statistics - Enterprises (ISS) 2023 results show the extent of digitalisation among Irish businesses. By surveying enterprises about a broad range of areas including internet access and use, e-commerce, data analytics, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and the use of electronic invoicing, the ISS gives a robust picture of the ways in which Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is used in business practices. Topics and items on the survey can change from year to year to reflect the development and emergence of new technologies and their role in business. The 2023 results reflect the continued increase in the online presence among enterprises in Ireland and their use of data and technology.
Social Media and Internet Advertising
Three-quarters of enterprises used social media in 2023, compared with 71% in 2019. However, the percentage using blogs or microblogs (e.g. X, formerly known as Twitter) decreased to 18% in 2023 from 34% in 2019.
Nearly four in ten (39%) enterprises paid to advertise on the internet in 2023, with more than one in five (22%) using targeted advertising based on webpage content or users’ keyword searches.
Artificial Intelligence
Overall, 8% of enterprises used Artificial Intelligence (AI) in 2023, the same as in 2021. The most common types of AI used were automated workflows or decision making (4%) and machine learning (3%).
Among large enterprises, more than one-third (37%) used AI, with 22% using it for automated workflows or decision making and 20% for machine learning.
Data Analytics
Enterprises use data analytics in various ways to support and enhance business processes. In 2023, 31% used Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, 28% used Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, and 22% used Business Intelligence (BI) software.
Types of data most used for analytics included customer transaction records (23%) and customer information such as location, preferences, or reviews (20%)."