BUSINESSES in the North West are showing good progress towards e-business, according to the International Benchmark Study 2002.

The study, by DTI-led UK online for business, shows that 77 per cent of businesses in the region have a website, slightly under the national average of 80 per cent.

And companies in the North West are most likely to use technology as part of their research and development, with 54 per cent doing so against a national average of 47 per cent.

Stephen Timms, Minister for E-Commerce, said: "North Western businesses are truly embracing e-business but they still have a long way to go. It's not just about having a web site. Businesses must now take the next step and fully integrate their business processes through the use of information and communication technologies.

"By doing so, they will reap an even bigger, tangible business benefits, from cost savings and time efficiencies to improved customer and supplier relationships."

Other key findings for the region from the study includes the fact that 26 per cent of businesses are trading on-line; 28 per cent allows customers to order on-line while 12 per cent of companies allows on-line payment. Figures also disclose that 33 per cent of businesses in the region have integrated internal systems, an additional 13 per cent is in the process of integrating and a further 24 per cent plans to do so in the near future.