Companies plan to increase their overall e-business spending by 7% over the next 12 months, according to a quarterly survey conducted by AMR Research. Consistent with the first half of 2001, executives stated that the main drivers for investing in e-business initiatives is cost reduction and ultimately to improve customer support and retention.

Executive priorities include focusing on customer management, increasing efficiencies by streamlining internal processes and reducing overhead through appropriate technology.

Many executives surveyed view the current economic atmosphere as a time to maximize their existing tools and resources rather than continuing with large incremental investments in new customer or supplier applications.