Information technology issues and challenges of the globe: the world IT project

Abstract

In this research, we report the information technologies rated as important by IT professionals in thirty-seven countries of the world, thus enhancing our understanding of the global technology landscape. Past research has focused primarily on the U.S. technology issues, which although useful in the U.S. context, may not generalize to all other countries. Globally, four core technologies have been ranked high for most of the countries: networks/telecommunications, business intelligence/analytics, enterprise application integration, and mobile and wireless applications. There were also differences among countries. Statistical analyses were performed to analyze the nature of these differences based on the economic level of the country and its IT infrastructure capability. Further insights were generated by performing cluster analysis; grouping the countries into three clusters (optimizers, pragmatists, and progressives), and examining their characteristics and technology priorities. These results are useful for multinational companies, governments, and international agencies as they forge their technology strategies and make investment decisions. We also lay the foundation for ongoing research to better understand the contextual factors that explain the differences in technology priorities among nations.