CIOs deliver mixed forecast for Taiwanese technology sector

Technology leaders in Taiwan are focusing on operations, concerned with communication issues and planning to target cloud services and big data as key areas of focus going forward according to findings from the 2015 Michael Page Greater China CIO Viewpoint report.

Taiwanese CIOs have also delivered a mixed outlook for the technology job market in the next 12 months, which is at odds with the more positive forecast of their Greater China counterparts.

Surveyed IT professionals say their main focus is currently on operations, showing a prioritisation of the running of day-to-day functions. Going forward, however, this focus will move to improving processes as CIOs in Taiwan concentrate on big data, as they control and direct their businesses.

Moving forward, cloud services has been nominated as the top area for new technology spending in 2016, as senior IT leaders seek to have a better understanding of analytics and manage the drivers of business performance. We are seeing CIOs in Taiwan shift their focus from data consolidation and insights to cloud services for increased innovation, agility and the potential for cost savings.

Inadequate communication skills are a widely acknowledged gap in Taiwan and this report has strengthened this view, finding “communication issues” to be the number one concern facing CIOs in Taiwan.

Findings from the report indicate that only a third (33%) of Taiwanese IT professionals believe the technology sector will improve over the coming year, while a much larger 47% have predicted things will worsen. This is at odds with the positivity of just under half (46%) of Greater China CIOs who expect the sector will improve. Furthermore, 40% of CIOs predict that headcount will increase in the next 12 months, less than the Greater China average at 53%, while a more reserved 47% of Taiwanese CIOs believe headcount will remain at the same levels.

Where growth is predicted, it seems talent with both technical skills and business sensitivity are the focus of attention and an ability to handle the ever-changing nature of interactions between customers and organisations will be a key asset.

For more insights on the key considerations facing technology leaders in Greater China over the coming 12 months, download the 2015 Michael Page Greater China CIO Viewpoint report.