MANILA, Philippines ? Despite tight budgets, companies are still eyeing long-term investments in technology to enhance customer service, according to a study by research firm International Data Corp.

The study was based on surveys of 405 IT executives from India, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand. Ninety-two (92) of the respondents are from the Philippines.

According to the study, Asian companies are more concerned about enhancing customer service and keeping IT costs in check as they expand to other markets.

However, the report noted that companies are focused more on maximizing existing infrastructure instead of investing in technology upgrade to improve competitive advantage.

The IDC study, commissioned by storage vendor EMC, also revealed that cost cutting in the government also points to investments in automation, which should help in keeping costs down for the long term.

The study was aimed at discovering how companies were coping with the rise in information created in the enterprise, the strategic objectives that companies were undertaking in the near term, the business challenges they were facing, and how these impact information creation and information use in the enterprise.

Long-term investments

EMC Philippines Country Manager Ronnie Latinazo said local companies and government agencies are trying to keep operational efficiency high with limited resources. For those who do invest in new IT infrastructure, their IT managers have to justify how these implementations would translate to long-term business value and return on investments.

Some government institutions are investing in technology to minimize operational cost and also to provide faster and better public service, according to the EMC executive.

He cited the establishment of the Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) program of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank as among those projects that can offer better services at lower costs.

?Electronic procurement strengthens procurement efficiency by facilitating public access to the procurement information, and expediting public services in a cost-effective manner,? says Latinazo.

Apart from these concerns, Latinazo also said some businesses in the Philippines, particularly those involved in the offshore outsourcing industry, are also looking to expand their market reach and are thus the more aggressive investors in new technology.

Latinazo noted that such investments could have long-term positive effects for companies that are looking to be part of the economic upswing in the future. The concern now is encouraging other businesses to take the same investment prioritization.

?Technology is no longer meant for such basic operations as streamlining processes or facilitating information management as it has now been elevated to play a critical role in enhancing customer service levels to boost business growth,? Latinazo said.