Antivirus software is widely used, and most organizations also have firewalls in place, the survey said. But 44 percent reported that intrusions came from within their own organizations, and "this is a strong indicator that internal controls are extremely important and should not be underemphasized while concentrating efforts on deterring outside hackers," the FBI said.

SOFTWARE OVERVIEW

In the software section of this year's awards, we see continuing consolidation across all software categories. Increasingly companies are aiming to reduce the number of vendors and point products they use and simplify their application environments. According to IDC's latest research publication on packaged software market, the Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) region is expected to grow by 11.1 percent for year 2006 amidst sustained price pressure, increasingly integrated selling strategies, and continuing market consolidation.

"IDC views the market consolidation activities as great opportunities for vendors to upsell their integrated technologies," says Wilvin Chee, Director, Asia/Pacific Software Research. "We also expect vendors to make greater efforts to improve their penetration rates by reaching the corporate boardroom in order to better persuade the criticality of IT investment within business operations."

IDC offers an overview of the latest market trends and the emerging dynamics that will shape the software industry and its competitive landscape in 2006.