Charles Reed, CEO, Docomo interTouch
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| In this global financial crisis, it is more critical than ever for IT executives to invest strategically in the right solutions to maximise the return-of-investment for their companies. | ||
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Q: What was the biggest thing that affected your company this year?
Our acquisition of major rival MagiNet was our biggest milestone in 2008. As a result of the acquisition, we now cater to over 1,400 hotels worldwide, making us the biggest hotel technology provider in the Asia-Pacific region and one of the biggest in the world. In terms of global headcount, we’ve also increased our team of employees to 1,000.
The acquisition was a strong driver in helping us start 2008 with US$50 million recurring annual revenue and ended the year with an estimated US$160 million.
How will the recession impact businesses?
The recession will definitely impact all, if not most, businesses. There are two areas where significant impact will be seen. Firstly, obtaining credit will be more challenging and companies with weak balance sheets will be in a disadvantaged position and unable to capitalise on new opportunities.
Secondly, there will also be a sharp decline in general spend. As a result, organizations that have strong balance sheets with good fiscal discipline are more likely to ride out the crisis better. In my opinion, this unique environment will create a whole host of opportunities for companies who are able to use these conditions to their benefit.
In the hospitality industry, some establishments will inevitably cut costs on technology but prestige hotels and global chains will continue to invest in technology solutions that will help them retain guest loyalty and rise above the competition.
The biggest challenge facing IT departments is...
...justifiying and measuring results for their investment in technologies and solutions. In this global financial crisis, it is more critical than ever for IT executives to invest strategically in the right solutions to maximise the return-of-investment for their companies.
Docomo interTouch, for example, has recently invested in Google Apps--a cost-efficient solution for managing email and data for our employees worldwide. Not only does it offer us real-time collaboration and access anywhere and anytime, we estimate that Google Apps brings us about 40 to 50 percent cost savings compared to other third-party hosted solutions over a three-year period.
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