Singapore - Asian information technology (IT) managers consider technology that can increase IT utilization rates of computers and storage hardware as exerting the biggest influence on their industries, a published survey said on Monday.

Called virtualization, it allows businesses to reduce their capital expenditures, said research firm IDC.

IDC polled 427 IT managers. Virtualization was picked by 27 per cent of respondents as the most influential technology, said the findings published in The Business Times.

Among the respondents were IT managers from India, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia and Singapore.

In another category, 62 per cent of those queried said their top IT management priority for 2008 is increasing business efficiency through IT processes. (dpa)