NEW YORK, November 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Intelligence Alliance (GIA) (http://www.globalintelligence.com/), a global strategic market intelligence and advisory group, has released a 2009 Global Market Intelligence Survey report that predicts global investments in Market Intelligence (MI)* to increase over the next two years. Of the global corporate respondents on average 53% said they will increase spending due to pressures and opportunities arising from the economic downturn. The role of MI has also grown in sophistication as companies recognize its importance when it is not 'business as usual'.

    Regional rankings: % Companies with established MI functions (% whose
    investment in MI will increase in the future)

      1. Northern Europe 85% (43%)
      2. Western Europe 68% (50%)
      3. North America 59% (69%)
      4. Latin America 52% (58%)
      5. Asia Pacific 52% (46%)
      6. Central & Eastern Europe 47% (86%)
      7. Africa & Middle East 30% (51%)

    The future investments in MI will focus on:

      - Customers and their industries
      - Improving integration into business processes
      - Facilitating networking and knowledge-sharing

"Market Intelligence helps accelerate business decision making and is becoming a sophisticated business function. 65% of companies make vital decisions with the support of MI on a frequent basis," said Markko Vaarnas, CEO of GIA. "It can however, gain greater visibility at the top management levels. MI is often fed to the board through other functions such as strategic planning, sales and marketing, business development etc. The most advanced companies have a Director of MI very close to the CEO and top management."

For further information, please visit http://www.globalintelligence.com or send an email to media@globalintelligence.com.

    The report is available at
http://www.globalintelligence.com/insights-analysis/white-papers/

About GIA

Global Intelligence Alliance (GIA) is a strategic market intelligence and advisory group. GIA's solutions range from outsourced market monitoring services and software to strategic analysis and advisory.

Today, we are the preferred partner for organizations seeking to understand, compete and grow in international markets. Our industry expertise covering over 100 countries enables our customers to make better informed decisions worldwide.

About Global Market Intelligence Survey

The Global MI Survey looks into the current state of MI activities in international companies, how MI supports decision-making, and the anticipated future developments across geographies and industries. The survey was the fourth in a series and involved 724 respondents during the period of August-September 2009.

SOURCE Global Intelligence Alliance Finland