Top bosses see the value of IT

Management attitudes towards IT investment are changing for the better, according to a global survey of top executives.

The report, by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), claims that 80 per cent of bosses are happy with IT's effect on their productivity, while a further 70 per cent said they were satisfied with IT's ability to boost customer relations through better support and service systems.

Paul Lewis, worldwide general manager at IBM Global Services, said companies are interested in more than improving operating efficiency. He claimed IT was welcomed to "propel growth strategies by expanding market reach and strengthening customer relations."

The report showed firms are now more prepared to wait for IT spending to pay dividends, rather than demanding instant returns. Companies also view IT as a way to increase market share. This spurt of growth was encouraged by the growing presence of network computing.

Mary Driscall, project director, management finance division of the EIU, said companies are now taking "deliberate steps to leverage their firms' technology resources." She said the "potent shift in mindset will be hard to ignore in the next few years."