The paper presents the changing role of the Internet as a framework of several new business initiatives. In the last five years the Internet has evolved from being just a useful tool to a force shaping business strategies and influencing long-term managerial decision making. The paper presents an analysis of several cutting edge business initiatives and relates the success opportunities they have with evolving features of the Internet. The growth of importance of the Internet stresses the need to evaluate the state of local ICT development and precise data in this area for successful new business initiatives and meaningful change management. The paper presents the importance of such an evaluation for engaging change management that may be the crucial factor for the future of business initiatives in the era of ubiquitous, smart Internet.