The importance of IT support and developments in the computing industry has been highlighted as a force which will drag the UK out of the economic slump.

Phil Flaxton, the chief executive of Technology Means Business, made his comments following a study by SAP UK which found that over half of respondents believed new systems of IT governance will enhance the standing of companies in the UK and worldwide.

He said: "In or out of a recession, technology will continue to evolve and consumers will become more comfortable with using technology - we've seen that over the last five years.

"So it's something that's pretty unstoppable, really."

Mr Flaxton added that whether it is a technology provider or a retailer, understanding a customer and how they use such systems is key to this recovery, with organisations able to capitalise on any new trends in the market.

SAP's research also discovered that 90 per cent of respondents plan to optimise inventory levels as a means of cutting costs and becoming more competitive in the current climate.

In a recent survey of SMEs for Connect, the two most important benefits of outsourcing were guaranteed response times and allowing in-house IT staff to concentrate on more strategic issues.