Half of APAC CIOs have tech budgets devoted to growth

Nearly half (48%) of Asia–Pacific CIOs have secured dedicated technology budgets to deliver growth and overcome existing challenges, according to the results of a global survey published by Expereo.

Across the Asia–Pacific markets covered by the survey, public/hybrid cloud (58%), automation and analytics (58%) and security (57%) were identified as the top three areas for increased technology investments.

Other priority areas include Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) (56%), WAN (54%), Internet of Things (54%), software-a-a-service (53%) and edge computing (52%).

Meanwhile, the survey found that 44% of CIOs in the region believe that establishing and managing connectivity in new markets is the single most critical factor in ensuring successful global expansion.

But when asked about the top obstacles to delivering growth in new regions, APAC CIOs stated factors including the ability to understand technology challenges at the board level (36%), having to deal with constraints due to legacy systems (36%), as well as having sufficiently in-depth knowledge of local customs and business practices (36%).

Expereo Chief Revenue Officer Ben Elms said the findings demonstrate that enterprises pursuing growth through global expansion are facing complexities and challenges to overcome.

“The business-critical nature of connectivity in today’s world combined with an increasingly complex landscape — from security, regulation, skills and often challenging physical and geo-political infrastructure — means it’s no easy task,” he said.

“However, it is achievable. Those who find a way to simplify, automate and scale their operations will be in the best position to reap the rewards and growth this can deliver.”

Image credit: iStock.com/Melpomenem