Internet is commonly used by almost all companies, and the connection speed is constantly increasing. This year, 47% have used paid cloud services, and 53% of companies had a social network account. Artificial intelligence technologies are not very widespread; they are mainly used by large enterprises.
Twenty years ago, over 90% of companies in the Czech Republic had access to the Internet, and the speed of fixed internet connection is gradually increasing. The proportion of companies connecting to the Internet at speeds exceeding 100 Mbit/s has more than quintupled in the last ten years. In 2023, 45% of all companies, 75% of large enterprises, were connected at this speed. The proportion of companies using the so-called superfast Internet with a download speed of over 1 Gbit/s is also increasing. This year, 8% of national companies used this speed, while 16% of larger companies did.
More and more companies have their own profiles on social networks. In 2023, it was 53%, while for large companies, it was 88%. Social networks primarily assist them in self-presentation or product promotion. However, they are increasingly using them to search for new employees. “In 2023, 64% of companies that had their own accounts offered job postings on social networks. In 2015, it was 42%, which is one-third less,” explains Eva Myšková Skarlandtová from the Department of Development Statistics at the CZSO. Travel agencies, media companies, or companies offering accommodations are the main ones presenting themselves on social networks.
In 2023, nearly a tenth of companies provided customer support in the form of web-based online chat, with telecommunications companies being the most common users (36%). However, online customer support is primarily implemented through customer service representatives. The use of so-called chatbots by national companies is currently minimal (2%).
Digitization in the commercial sector is evident in the purchase of cloud services, storage, or programs accessible from anywhere via the Internet. “The popularity of using paid cloud services by companies is gradually increasing. The latest data shows that nearly half of companies in the Czech Republic are already purchasing these services, which is double the number in 2017,” explains Kamila Burešová from the Department of Development Statistics at the CZSO. Over the long term, the most frequently purchased cloud services will include domain email addresses, data storage, and Office programs.
Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are not yet widespread in our country; they are mainly used by large companies with more than 250 employees (28% in 2023). The total figure for companies with 10 or more employees is influenced by the significant representation of small businesses that use AI technologies minimally (4%). AI is more frequently used, enabling advanced work with text or human language and machine learning technology.
