HUNDREDS of small and medium-sized businesses are being given the chance to test new software packages through access to broadband internet.

In an attempt to boost the region's use of e-commerce, the regional development agency Yorkshire Forward is spending almost £1.5m to connect 200 rural and 250 urban businesses to broadband for an initial 12-month period.

The move will give the agency the opportunity to evaluate the benefits to business of proven business packages that have been enhanced by the speed of satellite broadband technology.

Research shows that in terms of internet access, the region is the third highest in the UK, with 60 per cent of firms connected and a third having their own website.

But access to, and the use of, new technologies is limited, and the agency says that needs to increase in order to maximise the benefits to the region's businesses.

Working in partnership with Premier IT Group, which offers training, support and web-based business solutions, Yorkshire Forward has elected 380 firms in the region.

Head of business competitiveness Reza Zadeh said: "We recognise that broadband technology, when coupled with the right software package, will play a major role in the future for businesses operating within the global marketplace.

"By piloting the new technology directly with a range of businesses in the region, we will be able to track usage and identify which support packages have been most popular, and be in a position to demonstrate first-hand the business advantages that can be achieved by signing up to the latest in broadband technology.

"If, at the end of the trial period, the businesses are prepared to pay to continue with the service, we will have succeeded in getting the message across."