development to highlight the possible effects of e-commerce on Bermuda.

Mr. Barritt called for "accelerated preparation and re-direction'' of education to prepare Bermudians for jobs in e-commerce by Government.

"Success in this area (e-commerce) will also be critical to the future of local as well as international companies,'' he said. "But there is also a two-fold irony here which cannot be overlooked.

"This is cutting edge stuff and we are going to need offshore expertise -- and capital -- to get it along,'' he said adding, "and this will not be labour intensive, at least not in the traditional sense.'' "It will be a way of doing business that is going to rely -- and prosper -- on fewer not more employees who are very, very skilled and who are currently in demand throughout the world.'' Mr. Barritt called for "a vision, a plan'' for the Island to be a success at e-commerce, particularly in educating young people for the business.

"If Government is serious about the development of e-commerce they need to share these facts of e-life with our people and, just as importantly, to prepare them for the electronic wave of the not so distant future.''