Managing Global Transitions (): –

The internet has been described as breakthrough technology. Its use in business can drastically change the situation in the business sector lead-ing traditional enterprise to collapse. In the era of the Digital Revolu-tion, postindustrial society is evolving towards the information society creating the foundation of the New Economy. Its basic elements in-clude globalization processes, massive implementation of Information Technology and the establishment of virtual enterprises. Implemented processes take the form of pro-active business that fosters innovation and personification of its market offer. Enterprises that utilize Internet infrastructure in their activities carry out a specific e-business model. Their key commodity is information. It is based on changing the traditional into e- as well as on cre-ating the so-called ‘Internet value network. ’ In order to be created, the enterprise has to be properly prepared for the new conditions, which is called net readiness. This article describes the characteristics of sup-ply chains in the new economy, stresses the significance of information and effective business management in addition to a potential effect of the new economy on the market competitiveness of enterprises. Net readiness has been described here based on a study of a group of the biggest Polish businesses. FromOld to New Economy World economies function under the conditions that result from human evolution based on a continuous creation of added value (Table ). The ‘virtuality ’ of our era has its roots in ‘tough ’ historic solutions. Digital Revolution changing the post-industrial era society into the in-formation society laid the foundations for the New Economy based on a massive implementation of Information Technology – . Here are principles of the New Economy according to D. Tapscott (): . Information – departure from physical labor; ‘information input ’ is an essential component of products. Dr Zbigniew Pastuszak is Reader at the Faculty of Management