Pricing models for ITand related
services are likely to change in the coming year as buyers put
pressure on suppliers to help insulate againsteconomic recession, analysts have
predicted.
According to Colin Tyler, partner at OC&C Strategy
Consultants, there will be a shift towards pricing models in which
the risk is shared between suppliers and customers, and prices are
based on the
business value delivered by the project.
Tyler also predicts a shake-up in the IT market with a marked
separation developing between companies as the
credit crunch sifts out suppliers less able to deliver
value.
He warned that IT suppliers that have had high growth rates in
the recent past might not necessarily prove to be the most
resilient in an economic downturn as organisations seek to drive
down the costs of basic IT services.
"The gap between the winners and losers will be more dramatic
than in the past, with successful businesses likely to be those who
can deliver fundamental, scalable and reliable technologies that
generate business value rather than simply reducing operating
costs," he said.
Other winners will include those suppliers that can help
organisations improve productivity and reduce running costs through
improving the efficiency of their own workforce, which typically
represents a major part of company costs.
This will include things like workflow optimisation that can
deliver a rapid return on investment.
Tyler said buying decisions are also likely to move away from
individuals like the chief technology and information officers to
committee-based decisions, with chief executives and business
managers having a greater influence on IT spending.
"This approach will force companies to give more thought to the
business benefits of projects and encourage dialogue between IT and
other parts of the organisation," he said.