Computerworld Philippines Staff
December 11, 2009

At least 72% of companies place greater value on IT today than before the crisis, placing technology under the limelight as an essential tool for regaining strength after the crisis, a survey of business and IT executives conducted by Accenture and the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) revealed recently.

The survey of more than 550 executives also showed that almost half of the respondents see an increased investment in IT selectively, while one in ten of the same plan to deploy them across the board.

Surprisingly, non-IT executives have become more bullish about IT investments than those directly concerned with IT, with 61% anticipating more technology spending by next year.

“The results of the survey show that firms recognize the need to invest in technology to defend and accelerate their competitive position, even in difficult times, which has not always been the case in the past,” said Keith Haviland, global managing director for systems integration consulting. “The turmoil over the last 18 months has underscored the need for further flexibility and scalability to stay ahead in business and drive agile business change.”

Among the measures seen as most effective in cutting costs, three came to prominence: ensuring the stability and business relevance of project requirements; the replacement or rationalization of existing systems; and movement to open platforms.

The most pressing IT priorities, on the other hand, lie on virtualizing and consolidating servers (44%), while significant funding for e-business (32%) and service-oriented architecture (SOA) projects (31%) are also expected.

Due to additional technology implementations, IT executives are under increased pressure to deploy more flexibility-delivering projects than was previously required (81%). At least three-fourths, meanwhile, are using metrics to measure the performance of IT investments, yet half of those surveyed say metrics are only partly implemented, while one-third of the firms have no metrics evaluation measures at all.

“Just how indispensable IT has become to business survival and leadership is proven by the anticipated increase in investment over the next year, despite the challenging economic conditions,” Haviland said. “While other operational budgets are being slashed, global firms look towards IT as a way to re-build strength.” — John Mark V. Tuazon

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