LIP SERVICE
Backsliding on corporate governance issues is a long-established habit in many Asian countries. Results of a survey by the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants have given little hope for progress, except in China where CFOs have made the strongest connection between finance and best practice.

BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD
The concept of customer relationship management software is simple: treat customers well and they'll be loyal. There's only one hitch - getting a CRM system right first time is almost impossible.

LIFE AFTER DEATH
The South Korean government's wiping out of the non-performing loans problem during the Asian crisis has led many other Asian governments to take heed of its solution: the introduction of a new capital market based on securitization.

IS EVERYBODY HAPPY?
Workplace performance applications can save money but returns are difficult to tack down BMW goes low-resolution to boost high-yield web sales.

RETREAT AND RECOVER
Some of Asia’s biggest multinational companies are setting up disaster recovery centers in exotic locales, making plans to ensure continuity in the event of an emergency. This isn’t just a kneejerk reaction to September 11. IT vendors have long highlighted the dangers inherent in not having a solid disaster recovery plan to fall back on. Their clients have taken the advice seriously, with most CFOs now committed to the best and most cost-effective methods of mitigating against a crisis.

TWO SIDES GO TO WAR
It’s all systems go in the great 3G saga. Or it should be. The problem is that operators must choose between two technology standards - the costly, risky but European-preferred W-CDMA, or its profitable, practical twin, CDMA2000.

A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE
Companies have billions of dollars worth of software - and software licenses - lying idle. Yet a survey has found that CFOs are hardly aware of their unused “shelfware”.