Tartan Technology: Scottish Firms Refine Their Internet Plans

In an office at a run-down, desolate industrial estate on the outskirts of the Scottish town of Paisley, Brian McMillan, the CEO of Internet service provider Colloquium, relates how a funeral director approached him recently about doing business on the Web. "It was stupid. I mean, death comes as a surprise to most people, so they're hardly likely to be surfing the Web looking for bargain coffins."

The idea is far out, indeed. But it serves as a potent indication that the Internet is alive and kicking in Scotland. This should come as no surprise. After all, Silicon Glen, an area centered around Glasgow, has the highest concentration of high-tech companies outside of Silicon Valley and, as such, has one of the world's largest pools of trained information technology workers. ...