The survey by Kadence Asia-Pacific focused on firms that employed fewer than 200 people in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia.

More than 85 percent of computers owned by small and medium-sized enterprises in Thailand are linked to the Web, according to the findings.

Singapore was second with 77 percent. Malaysia and the Philippines had more than 70 percent of such businesses with at least one computer with an Internet connection.

"Our research does highlight the reach of the Internet across Asia," The Business Times quoted Piers Lee, Kadence Asia-Pacific managing director, as saying.

"However, the insight also emphasizes the discrepancies between business markets."

While India is well known for its information-technology industry, the report said only 55 percent of its small medium-sized businesses have any connection to the Web.

Indonesia emerged last in the survey at 50 percent.

Most companies in Australia, Taiwan and Hong Kong use computers in their day-to-day operations, and 95 percent of them have access to the Internet, the report said.

The research was based on the number of operational computers within an organization and how many of those computers were connected to the Internet.