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Singapore/ Hong Kong/ Beijing (pte033/26.05.2003/15:07) - According to the most recent IDC market research study http://www.idc.com , the SARS epidemic will have a palpable effect on the development of east Asian industry, but the effect may not be as dramatic as anticipated.
IDC predicts IT expenditures will reach 76.1bn dollars in the region - a decrease of one billion dollars compared to pre-SARS prognoses. The growth rate is forecast at 6.1 per cent instead of 7.6 per cent.
This is a much less pessimistic assessment than other studies have offered. A similar study conducted by the Aberdeen Group just after the SARS outbreak predicted a loss of 2.2bn dollars for east Asian states.
According to IDC, the Asian IT industry has repeatedly shown an ability to adjust in times of crisis in the past years.
The outbreak of the disease has clearly lowered demand in the Far East and changed working and user habits, said Kitty Fok, vice-president of the IDC Asian Pacific Central Research Group. In some cases these will remain even after the disease has subsided, said Fok.
Researchers expect to see the biggest effects on consumer behaviour in the second quarter of 2003, and a lesser impact in the following quarters. In China the disease has mainly had a negative impact on purchasing decisions in the public sector.
In general, IDC expects to see restructuring on the market as a result of SARS. (newsfox-special SARS)
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