The Global Information Technology Report 2003-2004 will be the third of a very well-received series assessing the state of networked readiness of various countries around the world. Recognizing the relevance of and the rapid changes in information technology, the Global Information Technology Report 2003-2004 will be an update to the previous Reports, capturing new insights and best practices and gleaning policy lessons from various country experiences. With the expansion in country coverage, the Report remains the most comprehensive and authoritative international assessment of the preparedness of countries to capture the benefits of participating in the Networked World. The Report consists of three main parts: the first includes analytical chapters related to networked readiness; the second contains country profiles, and the third part consists of the data tables which contains country rankings for every indicator. The 2003-2004 Report will be even more comprehensive than the previous Reports. This edition will assess at least 100 countries, with the inclusion of several African economies. To ensure that the most comprehensive array of relevant variables pertaining to Networked Readiness are distilled and analyzed, the variable composition of the model has been refined. Like previous reports, this year's is the result of a collaboration between the World Economic Forum and Somitra Dutta, the Dean of Technology at INSEAD and Bruno Lanvin, Manager of Information for Development at the World Bank. Written in a non-technical language and style, the Report appeals to a broad audience consisting of policy makers, business leaders and academics. In the tradition of the other reports of the Global Competitiveness Programme of the World Economic Forum, the Report brings together a range of leading experts in the field: academic experts, industry consultants, industry leaders and representatives of multilateral organizations. The findings of the Report will be presented at the World Summit for Information Society, which will gather the world's leading stakeholders of information technology in Geneva in December of 2003. The Report will also be used as a platform for discussion at the Annual Meeting in Davos, at regional events, country level meetings and other relevant activities of the World Economic Forum and Information for Development of the World Bank.