Paris Watch Dear Old Paris Speeds Into the Digital Age By KIKI YOSHIDA	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
デジタル時代に突入するパリ インターネットの利用が広がる中、アメリカや日本に遅れをとっているのがフランス。インターネットに似た、フランス独自のシステムの存在が、その原因の一つとも考えられています。しかし携帯電話やノートブックがものすごい勢いで普及しており、フランスが本格的デジタル時代を迎えるのももうすぐです。

The year 2000 is just a month away. At this point in time, it is remarkable to see how rapidly the world is changing. This is especially notable with computers.

With the expansion of the Internet, computers have become a part of daily life. We forget that there was a time when computers used to be cold-looking boxes to most of us. Their image has completely changed in the last few years.

Computers are not just for professional use anymore; even schoolchildren are tapping away nowadays. The coming century will be, no doubt, a century like we have never seen.

When it comes to the Internet, France is behind. The situation is similar to the one we had in Japan a few years ago. The United States and Japan are far more advanced, but France is running after them at full speed.

In June 1998, it was reported that 9.6 percent of the population used the Internet. In the same month this year, the percentage had risen to 14.1 percent. You can now see advertisements everywhere, from the TV to subway walls, and new PC magazines are continuously being published. Surcouf, the biggest computer shop in France, is always crowded. It reminds me of Akihabara every time I visit.

French people see this delay as a result of the Minitel service that has existed for nearly 20 years in this country. France Telecom developed Minitel in the 1980s. Basically, it's a telephone with a built-in screen and keyboard. It started as a low-cost terminal used in conjunction with a computerized French phone directory.

You can use this service at the post office or at home, and can rent or buy a terminal. Minitel offers various services from hotel reservations to online chat. Today, there are more than 8,000 services available. Most companies have their own Minitel code to provide services to customers, as they have their own Internet site now.

More people use Minitel services than the Internet. However, the analysis shows that this trend will be reversed in early 2000. You can also use Minitel services via Internet, but the thing is, most people have a hard time switching from the Minitel keyboard to a PC. It's true that Minitel is much simpler if you don't surf on the Net.

About three years ago, there were few French Internet providers. I was using a Japanese provider service for a while even though it was expensive. Now I have changed my provider to Wanadoo which is run by France Telecom. This is one of the biggest providers in France today. Recently, free providers have been introduced here. I bet this is going to change provider services in many ways. The competition for new customers is bound to become more severe.

As cybercommerce gains in popularity, small shops are given the chance to extend their busi ness. Thanks to software that automates the task, it is not difficult to create your own web site, even if you are a beginner. Many small businesses enter the world of e-commerce this way. Online, stores can stay open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Moreover, shopowners can take orders even while they sleep.

I use online shops very often, but I am afraid to say that French shops need more time and experience before they become like real online shops. (To me, the best Internet shop is Amazon.com of the United States.) The service should be slick and offer something storefront retailers don't.

I am looking forward to seeing how France's presence on the Internet develops. As you know France is a country that has given many great artists to the world. I wonder what they can do with this new tool.

The number of mobile phones has also increased rapidly. In August 1999, 15.5 million people were using mobile phones, a rise of more than 72 percent from the preceding year.

The scene has changed in just a few years. Now you can see people talking on mobile phones on every corner of the street or at cafes. I am surprised by this swift change. Mobile phones are another explosive new business here.

Besides signing a contract, there is another way to have a mobile phone that is quite popular: the mobicarte service. With this card, called "bicarte," you only pay for the calls that you make. It is a prepaid card, so you don't need to pay a monthly phone charge. I am a mobicarte user myself and I love it because there are no shocking telephone bills! Unfortunately, the communication cost is still high.

Portable computers are also developing quickly. Experts say that mobile communications will even transform the way we look soon. They have slower processors, less memory, smaller displays and limited power resources. with the number of mobile phone users worldwide expected to reach 1 billion by 2003, mobile communications promise to connect people around the world more easily. I look forward to the day when I can call up my friend in Tokyo from Paris as if I were calling from Nagoya or Osaka.

As the year 2000 draws near, companies are promoting these new technologies more than ever. Although the city has many historic spots and gives off a smell of the good old days, Paris is ready for the opening of the digital age.

Shukan ST: Dec. 3, 1999

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