INFORMATION technology (IT) players urged companies to invest in more efficient IT infrastructure that will boost productivity and enable them to stay competitive.

Cebu Educational Development Foundation for IT (Cedf-it) executive director Bonifacio Belen said IT should be considered a “driver of growth” and the assembly line for further innovation.

"Matod Pa Sa Lola ni Noy Kulas." Join the story-writing contest on Cebuano folklore and win prizes.

While IT in companies has progressed from management information system to business support system, Belen observed that many business owners still provide a meager budget and attention to IT infrastructure.

Lope Doromal Jr., IBM Innovation Network-Philippines client technical adviser and chief technologist, raised the need for businesses to cope with the demands of today’s “smarter planet,” which is characterized by an “instrumented, interconnected and intelligent” market that is heavily exposed to communication gadgets, Internet and new information.

“Is your business in the position today to serve in a smarter planet?” he asked participants in the IBM Business Reality Summit at Cebu City Marriott Hotel last week.

“Building a Smart Pla-net” is a campaign launched by IBM late last year.

Doromal advised businesses to consider four key areas—new intelligence or information; smart work or flexible and dynamic business process; dynamic infrastructure; and eco-friendly systems—to cope with the demands of the market.

Evenard Marquez, IBM Philippines technical solution architect for integrated communications, said IBM offers solutions to help companies cut costs, improve IT performance, and thrive in this new, smarter planet.

He said that IBM also offers an assessment methodology that will evaluate the current IT system of a company and identify cost savings before carrying out solutions that would support a dynamic IT infrastructure.

Chestnut Andaya, IBM Philippines country manager for general business, observed that a growing number of businesses are being drawn into using IT to cope with the effects of the global financial crisis.

In Cebu, the bulk of IBM costumers are engaged in manufacturing, retail and utilities. IBM has been present in Cebu since 1974.