CEOs point specifically to their own customer base as the source of the most important changes they will have to address, as two new and more demanding classes of customers emerge: the "information omnivore," and the "socially-minded" customer.

Corporate Social Responsibility will see the largest percentage increase of any trend in the survey. CEOs plan to increase their investments by 25 percent globally over the next three years in this area, and they're also planning a 22 percent increase in investments to serve the more demanding "information omnivore" customers - those who crave all types of information and often broadcast views and expectations worldwide via the Internet.

The CEOs are also looking to ensure a strong foothold in global opportunities - with 75 percent of those surveyed looking to enter new markets and 85 percent of them looking to partner to capitalize on global integration opportunities.

Source: Thenewsmarket.com - IBM