CEOs Predict Robust IT Growth

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The technology industry is poised to create more than 1.5 million new jobs worldwide and generate $290 billion in tax benefits over the next four years according to a survey of IT CEOs released Thursday by the Business Software Alliance (BSA).

The survey, conducted by research firm IDC, highlights the views and opinions of technology CEOs on future IT innovations and the challenges to their widespread application. Throughout the summer, the BSA CEOs provided their insights on a range of issues related to future trends in technology and innovation.

The CEOs predict that over the next 10 years, 65 percent of the world’s billion-plus Web users will be able to access the Internet from a wireless device; the number of people playing games online will swell to 100 million; the number of converged cell phone-PDAs will jump from 4 million to 80 million; and local wireless hotspots will grow from 20,000 to 140,000.

The CEOs also think productivity improvements in the next five years could yield up to $140 billion in annual cost savings to industries. Additionally, according to the CEOs, efforts to make the Internet safe for all commercial transactions would help Internet commerce grow a full six times, expanding from $1 trillion last year to nearly $6 trillion by 2006.

“Today, every business process is more efficient and every worker is more productive because of innovations brought forth by commercial software,” said BSA President and CEO Robert Holleyman. “No matter the industry or application, software continues to redefine the concepts of productivity as we know it. And the next wave of breakthrough innovations is close upon us. Such areas as wireless technologies, nanotechnology, grid computing and others already show huge promise.”

To reap the full benefit of future innovations, the BSA study concludes with a call to action, identifying critical areas for the promotion of next-generation technologies. Five key points include:

Public and private investment in research to accelerate the development process and speed the benefits to businesses and consumers;

Intellectual property protection to ensure investment by software developers and computer makers;

Keeping innovations focused on end users to create easy-to-use, secure and reliable software that be can be optimized to a particular business environment;

Creating advanced business models that continue to be adjusted, advanced and evolved; and

Continued investment in a skilled workforce.

“As this research illustrates, the thread of innovation continues to proliferate worldwide, providing economic and societal benefits for citizens around the globe,” Holleyman said. “While there are still a great number of challenges to address, the best is yet to come. Confidence in software innovation is uniquely strong due to its ability to truly transform our personal and professional lives. And the true potential of software innovation has yet to be realized.”