Local Internet users pegged at 8.1 million in 2006­–report

Local Internet users pegged at 8.1 million in 2006­–report
Monday, July 09, 2007

The IT industry in the Philippines is getting bigger, according to the Philippines Information Technology Report Q1 2007 by Business Monitor International (BMI), a print and online publisher of specialist business information on global emerging markets.

“Although PC and Internet penetration rates are still in their infancy, they are expected to reach 27 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively, by 2011,” the report said.

BMI figures also put local Internet users to an estimated 8.1 million in 2006, growing progressively over the last 5 years. This is clearly manifested in the sheer number of neighborhood Internet cafés and gaming network centers all over the metro and beyond. Global PC ownership is also growing, with an estimated total spending of around US$725 million on hardware in 2007, up from a projected US$648 million in 2006. BMI also expects global software spending to grow 12 percent from around US$211 million in 2006.

The IT expenditure of most companies is also expected to rise in 2007, and BMI pegs the total Philippine IT market to increase in size. All in all, the whole sector is showing no signs of slowing down. “Truly, the Philippines still remains as an increasingly important IT player in the region,” stated in the report.

“Given the projected increase in local computing activities, security cannot be overlooked. Without a built-in security infrastructure in place, the Internet is wide open to attacks and vulnerabilities that may be exploited by malicious users who want to gain profit. The advent of Web 2.0 could actually compound the problem with its emphasis on user-generated content and a more collaborative dynamic among users,” the report added.

-- Katrina C. Guevarra (TMTSJ)

Link
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/july/09/yehey/techtimes/20070709tech2.html