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Study Finds Globalization and New Technologies Driving Companies to Seek New Business Models to Increase Efficiency, Competitiveness, Agility and Grow

A combination of intensified globalization brought on by recent turbulence in the global economy and the acceleration of new information technologies is driving companies and governments to look for new business models to meet increased demands for efficiency, competitiveness, short-term agility and long-term growth. This is one of the key findings of a study released by Accenture at the World Economic Forum.

According to the study, maturing technologies such as cloud computing, mobile communications and collaborative computing will offer companies the "hidden wiring" required to compete in a multi-polar world, one in which emerging markets are challenging the traditional strengths of more mature economies.

When asked which factors will have the most significant impact on their business over the next five years, 41 percent of the executives surveyed said it would be the growth in size and reach of new players in emerging markets, followed by an increase in IT capabilities (35 percent) and slower economic growth in developed markets (27 percent). Respondents also said that the most significant challenges raised by future developments in information technology would be managing complex networks of suppliers, business partners and customers (37 percent), followed by protecting proprietary information and data (28 percent) and competition for technologically and analytically skilled employees (27 percent).

According to the study, economic power shifts between companies and individuals and between national economies are becoming more common, creating greater business complexity with more people to buy from and sell to, as well as more competitors. At the same time, this complexity is fostering more ways to create economic value. Accenture has identified six market-shaping interactions that have the ability to create new economic value:

Co-production with customers. Companies are finding more opportunities to engage with customers and suppliers in such areas as co-producing products and sourcing ideas as a part of the innovation process.

New bridges between producers and consumers. Intermediaries are using technology to build new bridges between producers and consumers, helping companies extend the markets they serve, particularly in emerging-market economies. Nearly sixty percent of business leaders surveyed for the study said that greater consumer connectivity would have a significant or very significant impact on competition in their industries over the next five years.

New forms of business-to-business (B2B) commerce. New forms of B2B activity are becoming technologically possible, advancing the promise of "e-markets" first discussed a decade ago.

Consumer-to-consumer content. Technology is enabling like-minded consumers to form clusters of cooperative structures that span multiple countries and regions in order to share information, evaluate products and services and conduct purchases. Accenture's research reveals that 57 percent of executives believe the growing bargaining power of knowledgeable consumers will significantly affect competition in their industries over the next five years.

Peer-to-peer production. Individuals can form groups that provide products and services to reduce the market power of existing suppliers or to exert greater control over the way a product or service is produced or consumed.

Cooperative consumption. The growth of social networking and digitization enables consumers to form clusters that boost their bargaining power.

[Full Article] Feb-07-2010

Worldwide IT Spending to Grow 3% in 2010

Worldwide spending on information technologies will continue to feel the effects of the global recession throughout 2010. According to a new forecast from IDC, worldwide IT spending will increase by just 3% in 2010 at constant currency. In the United States, IT spending is forecast to increase by less than 3%.

Overall, IDC forecasts that worldwide IT spending will reach $1.48 trillion in 2010, still below the $1.5 trillion recorded in 2008. IDC's forecast of 3% growth in worldwide IT spending is at constant currency, and does not assume future fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar or other international currencies over the next 12 months. If the U.S. dollar weakens in 2010, the actual recorded growth of IT spending in US$ may be significantly higher. Measured in U.S. dollars, worldwide IT spending declined by 8% in 2009 due to the stronger value of the dollar compared to 2008.

On a global basis, IDC expects hardware spending to grow by 5% in 2010, while software spending and IT services spending will grow by 2% and 3%, respectively, in constant currency. In the hardware segment, worldwide PC spending is forecast to increase by 3% this year, up from the previous forecast of 2% growth, while the forecast for servers, storage, hardcopy peripherals, and network equipment have also been raised. The outlook for software and services spending reflects the lower value of contracts signed in the past year and continued caution toward new project-based spending in mature economies.

Regional highlights from IDC's new forecast include the following:

Asia/Pacific: Overall, the region will experience 6% growth in IT spending in constant currency, following a 1% decline in 2009. However, China and India are both expected to experience double-digit growth (11.5% and 13.5%, respectively) this year. Hardware spending will experience solid gains this year, driven by pent-up demand and new infrastructure deployment. Following a decline of 8% last year, no IT spending growth is forecast for Japan this year.

EMEA: Following a worst-ever decline of 7% in 2009 at constant currency, IT spending in Western Europe is forecast to be effectively flat in 2010. A few market segments are expected to return to positive growth, but the market sentiment across the region remains weak. In Central and Eastern Europe, the 20% spending crash of 2009 will be followed by 9% growth in 2010. IT spending in the Middle East and Africa will also return to growth this year (12% at constant currency) after a 2.5% decline last year.

Latin America: IT spending in Latin America will be up by 5% this year. Overall spending will gradually accelerate in line with the recovery in business and consumer confidence. Increasing market maturity in some sectors will contribute to price competition as some buyers gravitate towards low-cost solutions. The key market of Brazil will return to a more robust level of growth by 2011.

North America: The gradual economic recovery will enable many U.S. organizations to relieve some of the pent-up demand for system and network upgrades following last year's spending.

[Full Article] Feb-07-2010

Economic Optimism Reaches its Highest Level

Since initiating its year-long study of global talent trends and strategies, Deloitte reveals in its latest research report that economic optimism has reached its highest level among surveyed executives since the study's inception. According to Deloitte's December 2009 survey, more than one-third of the 335 surveyed executives now believe the worst of the recession is behind us as companies look to move forward to find the right balance between offensive and defensive talent strategies.

Key findings of the survey include:

In December, more than one-third (35 percent) of the executives surveyed predicted the worst of the economic crisis is behind us the highest level of economic confidence since the survey began in January 2009.

Cutting and managing costs remains the top strategic issue for the executives surveyed in December, just as it has in every previous survey. However, 50 percent of surveyed executives named “acquiring/serving/retaining” customers as a strategic issue capturing the most management attention.

Reducing employee headcount remained the leading current talent priority, ranked No. 1by 35 percent of the executives and talent managers who participated in this survey, followed by retention (28 percent) and training and development (25 percent).

A ranking of talent priorities over the next three months produced a virtual dead heat, with reducing employee headcount at 31 percent, training and development at 29 percent and retention at 27 percent.

Heading into the first quarter of 2010, only 39 percent of talent managers and executives who participated in this survey anticipate additional layoffs in the next three months, compared to 51 percent who see no layoffs on the horizon.

More than four in 10 executives surveyed expect their companies to increase programs aimed at developing high potential employees (47 percent) and cultivating corporate leaders (43 percent).

Nearly three-quarters of surveyed executives believe that leadership development was either critically important (27 percent) or very important (45 percent) at their companies. And, an overwhelming eight out of 10 either agreed (55 percent) or strongly agreed (25 percent) that their companies have a clear leadership development strategy.

Despite near universal agreement on the importance of leadership programs, surveyed executives do not have a high sense of confidence about their efforts in this area. Only 10 percent of survey participants describe their leadership initiatives as "world-class across the board."

[Full Article] Jan-31-2010

2010 will be a Good Year for the Contact Center Workforce Optimization (WFO) Market

DMG Consulting LLC, a provider of contact center and real-time analytics market research and consulting services, released its 2009-2010 Quality Management/Liability Recording (Workforce Optimization) Product and Market Report. Data from the report shows 2009 proved to be a good year for the contact center workforce optimization (WFO) market. The recession gave many vendors the opportunity to significantly enhance their products, ensuring they would be well-positioned in 2010 and 2011 to meet the needs of highly particular prospects as they begin making technology investments again.

New product packages, workflow, analytics-enabled solutions and true mid-sized offerings are a just a few of the innovations seen in the market. Due to the economic climate, contact center managers have an opportunity to purchase or upgrade to a feature-rich workforce optimization solution at an aggressive price. This trend is expected to continue throughout 2010 as vendors aggressively compete for new business.

Although contact center WFO revenue dropped by 5.9 percent, from $507.7 million in the first half of 2008 to $477.7 million in the first half of 2009, the contact center WFO market is still ahead of the $447.7 million earned in the first six months of 2007. DMG expects 2010 to start slowly, but a strong fourth quarter will propel 2011 into a recovery year. DMG expects the market to grow by 3 percent in 2010 and 5.5 percent in 2011.

[Full Article] Jan-31-2010

Customers Fastidious About Call Center Service

Teleperformance, a provider of outsourced CRM and contact center services, released the results of customer care survey that shows the quality of experience with a company's customer contact center determines consumer sentiment and brand loyalty. According to the survey, a single negative experience with a customer call center would likely cause 68% of the respondents to take their business elsewhere. Over 1000 U.S. adult consumers completed the survey.

Survey results also revealed consumers expect excellent service in return for brand loyalty:

87% of people felt they had a right to a better contact center experience if they regularly spend money with a company or stay loyal to a brand

51% of people said the main reason for their dissatisfaction with a company is poor customer service or a bad contact center experience

[Full Article] Jan-31-2010

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