IT System Agility, Manageability and Cost Effectiveness to Drive the Asian IT Market Forward in 2007, Predicts Springboard Research

Singapore – December 20, 2006

Springboard Research, a leading innovator in the IT Market Research industry, today released its Predictions 2007 Executive Brief for what IT vendors can expect to see across Asia in the coming year. The brief was based on executive interviews with CIOs and IT decision makers at leading organizations across the region to identify their key issues and plans for 2007.

The full Predictions 2007 Executive Brief is available for free on Springboard’s website at www.springboardresearch.com.

“2007 will be an interesting year for IT vendors with fundamental market shifts being driven by Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), Software as a Service, Virtualization and the Mobile Workforce,” said Dane Anderson, CEO & EVP of Research at Springboard Research. “When combined with the emergence of Asia as a key engine for global economic growth, 2007 is sure to present unique opportunities to IT vendors well positioned to take advantage of the dominant market trends” added Mr. Anderson.

“CIOs and IT Managers are continuing to be forced to do more with less. Even when their budgets increase, it seems as if organizational technology needs are increasing even quicker,” added Ravi Shekhar Pandey, Senior Market Analyst for Springboard Research. “Companies in Asia will continue to increase their spending, but they will be more focused on serving business needs instead of being seen as just buying technology,” added Mr. Pandey.

This year’s predictions (more detail on each is included in the Executive Brief) include:

1. IT Vendors will see Service-Oriented Architecture guiding a larger percentage of their customers’ IT infrastructure investments
2. Virtualization will mature and come into its own in 2007, driving changes in hardware and software pricing models
3. Organizations will see a sharp increase in their focus on network-friendly applications
4. Windows Vista will stimulate IT buying activity, but mainstream adoption will be delayed in 2007
5. Software as a Service will see substantial gains in acceptance among Asia Pacific enterprises
6. Mobility will transition from being a secondary issue to a key element of enterprise IT strategy
7. 2007 will see an increase in the number of strategic partnerships in the Open Source arena
8. The SMB segment will continue its momentum in 2007, and increasingly turn to outsourced solutions
9. Indian IT service providers will come under increasing pressure from MNC providers
10. Indian IT service providers will be more aggressive with acquisitions, with one major tie-up expected before the end of the year

Springboard’s predictions are focused on the Asia Pacific IT market as a whole and are meant to provide an outlook at what we are seeing from decision-makers in the market. The 2007 Predictions Executive Brief is positioned to help IT vendors understand the changes and trends that Springboard believes will affect the IT markets in Asia in the future.

About Springboard Research

Springboard Research represents value, integrity and insight. Lead by a team of dynamic industry experts, Springboard Research provides its customers with high value IT market research that helps them identify new market opportunities, growth engines, and innovative ways to go to market, which means Springboard’s clients lead rather than follow market trends. Not bound by legacy, Springboard’s cutting-edge research model leverages its offshore research centers, the Internet, and an increased use of technology as engines of innovation to deliver unique research value. This means that customers have a real alternative for IT market research and where knowledge is delivered in more useable and interactive formats. Springboard Research works with the largest IT companies in the world across the hardware, software, networking, and services sectors.

Founded in 2004, Springboard Research serves the needs of its clients globally through offices in the United States, Singapore and Japan as well as global research centers in India and Pakistan.

For more information regarding Springboard Research, please visit www.springboardresearch.com.

Contacts

Dane Anderson
CEO & EVP of Research
Springboard Research
65-6236-7682
danderson@springboardresearch.com

Chris Perrine
COO & EVP of Sales & Marketing
Springboard Research
65-6236-7681
cperrine@springboardresearch.com

Ravi Shekhar Pandey
Senior Market Analyst
Springboard Research
91 9811499320
rshekhar@springboardresearch.com