Executive Summary - Vision 2020 - Enabling IT Leadership
Executive Summary - Vision 2020 - Enabling IT Leadership
Executive Summary - Vision 2020 - Enabling IT Leadership
Executive Summary
On the occasion of the 25th Anniversary of ASOCIO, I am proud to present the report “Asia-
Oceania Vision 2020 - Enabling IT leadership through collaboration”. KPMG has prepared this
report working closely with IT Associations of the 20 ASOCIO member economies.
Since its humble beginning in 1982, ASOCIO has grown to become an important regional IT
Association. Over 25 years, ASOCIO has brought IT Associations of 20 economies together to
discuss and act upon issues of importance. These, among many others, include creating
opportunities to increase the IT trade across the region through bilateral and multilateral
collaborations, working with regional governments, helping the IT associations of countries
with nascent or developing industries, and preparing position papers on important regional
issues.
The 21st Century is slated to be ‘Asia’s Century‘. The region is expected to become one of the
single largest economic regions of the world, with a growing population as well as progressive
economies.
This report looks at this IT Transformation over the next decade to chart out the vision for year
2020. It outlines the challenges faced by the region which present IT opportunities in the
region as well as globally. Above all, it outlines the urgent necessity of collaboration across the
© 2009 KPMG, an Indian registered partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member
region in all the areas of eco-system of IT, including industry, academia and governments.
Most importantly, it outlines an action agenda for ASOCIO to realize this vision. Moving
firms affiliated with KPMG International, a Swiss cooperative. All rights reserved. Printed in India.
forward, this is indeed an exciting opprtunity for ASOCIO to make a difference to the IT
environment in the region. In short, it opens up new avenues for ASOCIO in its journey for the
next 25 years.
I take this opportunity to thank KPMG for preparing this report. My gratitude also goes out to
all ASOCIO member associations and others who provided their invaluable inputs to the report.
Ashank Desai
President
ASOCIO
Foreword
The world today is more focused on Asia-Oceania than never before, as it is capable of
sustaining high economic growth rates. The region is built on strong fundamentals, and has the
potential to hold a global leadership position in the coming years. Growth rates in the Asia-
Oceania region as a whole are expected to be higher than in any other region in the next
decade. This 'foresight' is attracting a lot of interest in the region.
Leaders of economies in Asia-Oceania are trying their best to make the most of the current
overdrive. Unfazed by the global financial crisis, Asian economies are making aggressive
economic as well as social development plans. Even developed economies in the region, such
as Australia, have demonstrated resilience and have marched through the recession with
strong performing financial markets. The big four Australian banks are now in the list of top
twenty banks globally despite the financial crisis.
The multiplier effect of a developed information, communications and technology (ICT) industry
is not unknown. History has shown that technology has the potential to change society.
Therefore leaders of Asian economies accord particular attention to this industry and have
added ICT development as a priority area in their agenda.
Our report looks at the current growth and future prospects for the IT industry in this region
over the years. The current trends influencing the industry have been examined and the growth
potential of the Asia-Oceania economies, up to the year 2020 has been estimated. Asia-
Oceania’s dominance seems evitable and the year 2020 is expected to be a turning point for
the region. Asia-Oceania is also expected to become the largest supplier of Information
Technology (IT) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services to the world, with about
74.5 percent of global demand expected to be sourced from here by 20202.
The focus of this publication is also on Collaboration through Diversity. The Asia-Oceania
canvas is painted with different strokes of development. The region witnesses remarkable
diversity ranging from cultural and linguistic dissimilarities to varying levels of economic growth
and development. Economies, such as Australia, Japan and Singapore are building an
ecosystem that is conducive for innovation, while others such as Laos, Nepal and Myanmar are
still trying to develop their economies for globalization. This diversity results in distinct
© 2009 KPMG, an Indian registered partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member
capabilities and challenges for each country, and therefore presents a unique opportunity for
mutual collaboration and co-operation. firms affiliated with KPMG International, a Swiss cooperative. All rights reserved. Printed in India.
Collaboration, especially within the ICT industry, can create opportunities for all economies in
the region. Collectively, the region can achieve growth rates that could transcend what
countries can hope to reach growing in isolation.
As Asia-Oceania moves into the second decade of the 21st century, the next 10 years would be
extremely important for the region to establish its leading position in the world economy. The
catch phrase 'For the first time, we have a nation for a continent, and a continent for a nation '
by the first Prime Minister of Australia Sir Edmund Barton in the 19th century, is likely to hold
true for the entire Asia-Oceania region in this century.
Kumar Parakala
Global Head of Sourcing Advisory
COO, Advisory, KPMG in India
Chairman, Australian Computer Society (ACS)
1. Asia-Oceania has been defined as South Asia, Asia Pacific, and the Australian continent
2. KPMG Analysis based on aggregation of projections outlined in individual country profiles
© 2009 KPMG, an Indian registered partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member
firms affiliated with KPMG International, a Swiss cooperative. All rights reserved. Printed in India.
Asia-Oceania is poised to see a dramatic rise in domestic consumption, as nearly 90 percent of Asia-
Oceania's people are expected to live in countries that have achieved middle-income status by 2020.
The region is already moving towards greater integration. Going forward, it is expected to play a larger
role and participation in the global politico-economic debate, the size of the region, the growth of its
middle income population and a sizeable increase in the region's trade and investment profile being
contributing factors.
Share in FDI stock: 11.4 percent in 2006 Share in FDI stock: 20 percent
vital. Many countries are planning to take advantage of the demonstrated benefits of ICT-led growth –
firms affiliated with KPMG International, a Swiss cooperative. All rights reserved. Printed in India.
such as low investment requirements, lower gestation, increase in jobs, export opportunities, and stricter
environmental standards, among many other factors. Poorer countries that pursue ICT-led growth may
have the added benefit of getting a much easier entry into mainstream globalization due to its many
benefits.
As the region recognizes the multifold benefits of ICT adoption, not only to the economy but also to
social development, ICT penetration is likely to increase, making the region a significant consumer of ICT.
Therefore the region’s role both as a consumer of ICT as well as a supplier of ICT is expected to grow.
There may be some constraints to this projected growth as the region faces several challenges –climate
change, an ageing population, poverty, political instability and industry-specific challenges such as piracy
and shortage of talent.
3. ADB, http://www.intracen.org/btp/regional_meetings/india/delhi_summary.pdf
These challenges can hinder the current growth initiatives of countries that are exploring the new
opportunities that ICT-led growth may bring. Global opportunities such as e-governance, mobile
commerce or telecom assume much larger proportions in Asia-Oceania because of the relative under-
penetration and large population of the region.
The trends and prospects for the region today, set the tone for future expectations for ICT industry
growth by 2020. A collective vision for the IT-BPO services industry in the region has been
developed in the report to illustrate the potential for growth in the coming decade. The hardware
and communications segments under 'ICT' have not been included in the projections for 2020 in
this report.
Australia Bangladesh
Japan Indonesia
Singapore Pakistan
Thailand
© 2009 KPMG, an Indian registered partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member
Vietnam
Collaboration could be along four key elements – Investment, Trade, People Mobility and Knowledge
Sharing and Creation. The most obvious form of collaboration, where benefits are tangible, includes
those opportunities that lie in the trade and investment category. Collaboration for trade is likely to lead to
a larger regional marketplace, while at the highest level collaboration for innovation might have much a
wider effect, impacting individual countries, the region as a whole and perhaps even the world
© 2009 KPMG, an Indian registered partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member
Collaboration within the region could result in several wide-ranging benefits such as a larger regional
market, workforce rationalization, and a narrowing digital divide among countries. It can allow developing
countries, and more specifically poorer countries, to gain from the experiences of more developed
firms affiliated with KPMG International, a Swiss cooperative. All rights reserved. Printed in India.
countries within the region and tap opportunities for sustainable development. Effective collaboration is
likely to create a win-win situation, with each individual member economy able to gain advantages,
whether by addressing a shortage of human resources, or accessing know-how to tap export markets, or
even through strategies to reduce piracy and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) infringements.
Under the umbrella of ASOCIO, member economies have the opportunity to collaborate for growth and
may therefore be better equipped to achieve ‘Vision 2020’.
Alan Brame
Partner, IT Advisory
Auckland, New Zealand
+64 (9) 367 5811
alanbrame@kpmg.co.nz
Iwan Atmawidjaja
Partner
Jakarta, Indonesia
+62 21 574 2333
iwan.Atmawidjaja@kpmg.co.id
in.kpmg.com
The information contained here in is of a general nature and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although we endeavour to provide accurate
and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No one should act on
such information without appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of the particular situation.
©2009 KPMG, an Indian Partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International, a Swiss cooperative. All rights reserved.
KPMG and the KPMG logo are registered trademarks of KPMG International, a Swiss cooperative. Printed in India.