Innovation essential despite downturn

CIOs in the Asia-Pacific region cannot ignore innovation during the current economic downturn, according to a Gartner report Tuesday.

The technology research and advisory firm urged CIOs to balance innovation with frugality, while creating a direct link between IT and the organization's revenue in 2009.

Gartner's research director, Robin Simpson, noted that as businesses come to terms with the new realities of the current economy, technologies that bring improved efficiency and reduce costs remain attractive.

"Organizations that postpone essential technology deployments do so at their peril," Simpson said in a press statement. "Technologies like virtualization and emerging trends like cloud computing, offer new efficiencies and reduce the need for capital expenditure."

"At the same time, consumer technologies continue to advance into the enterprise and the impact of Internet-based video and telepresence in business cannot be ignored," he said.

According to Andrea Di Maio, Gartner's vice president and distinguished analyst, fluctuations in oil prices and changing economic conditions will put environmentally sustainable IT at risk during the downturn.

"IT can be both a liability and an asset for the environment," Di Maio said in the statement. "In tough economic times, some organizations will allow their green IT program to slip down the priority list. However, operating in a low carbon economy is fast becoming a fact of life for most businesses. It is possible for businesses to prioritize the components of a green IT program in order to strike the right balance between short-term cost pressures and longer-term sustainability."