DUBAI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MENA telecommunications firms are spending half as much on IT investments as their European counterparts, a difference that jeopardizes their future competitiveness. According to an Oliver Wyman International Telecommunications Benchmark study, MENA telecoms operators allocated just 7% of operating expenditures to IT, while European operators allocated 14% to IT.
The study also found clear regional differences between MENA and Europe telecoms’ investments in both applications development outsourcing and in front office/CRM. The full results are presented in an Oliver Wyman point of view, “Are MENA Operators Investing Enough in IT?”, which is available at www.oliverwyman.com/mena-operators-underinvesting-in-it.htm.
“MENA telecoms are jeopardizing their competitiveness by underinvesting in IT,” comments Stefan Kimmel, the head of the Information Technology and Operations Practice at Oliver Wyman in the Middle East. “By investing more in IT, particularly in differentiating elements like CRM and billing, and by approaching outsourcing more strategically, MENA operators can gain an IT-based advantage over regional rivals.”
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