SMEs come careering into the 21st century

Around 92 per cent of medium sized firms and 59 per cent of smaller businesses are now incorporating the internet into their businesses.

The research of 700 small and medium sized businesses also found that 33 per cent of SMEs had changed their mobile networks - though most found it difficult to compare prices and packages from the phone companies, calling for greater transparency.

A spokesman for Oftel said: "We aim to make it as easy as possible to swap suppliers, its our goal to get the best deals for consumers, whether individuals or SMEs."