Many Asia-Pacific companies have not yet grasped that technology is an investment rather than an expense, hindering their potential productivity, according to business-to-business group Ariba.
In Hong Kong last week for a Merrill Lynch conference, Ariba marketing director for Asia-Pacific Vijay Srinivasan said despite enthusiasm for new technology, not enough companies were buying it.
'Technology is not an expense, it's an investment,' Mr Srinivasan said.
'In the United States, continuous investment in technology has improved productivity. We could prove that you can have a return on investment within 12 months.'
He said in Singapore and Hong Kong, technology absorption was higher than in less developed Asian nations, 'but the companies have not moved fast enough'.
Today, the most active market in e-business is South Korea - a country that grasped the Internet revolution earlier than its regional counterparts.
India follows closely behind, Mr Srinivasan said.
