HP is rolling out upgraded Business Technology Optimization (BTO) software, along with interest-free financing, as companies worldwide seek ways to survive brutal economic conditions.

The HP technology optimization package unveiled by the California firm is aimed at helping businesses focus resources effectively on promising projects in hard times.

"Spending is not going to go down that much. It is more where the spend is and how people can be smart about that," said Mark Sarbiewski, senior director of products in HP's Software and Solutions unit. "This is an opportunity for organizations to transform themselves."

Forrester Research on Tuesday said it expects IT spending by US businesses in 2009 to grow by a meager 1.6 percent instead of the 6.1 percent figure it projected before the depth of the global financial quagmire was known.

Forrester vice president Andrew Bartels wrote that a "weak recovery" in the US technology market isn't expected to start until the second half of 2009.

Executives surveyed by another research firm, IDC, indicated they are holding the line on IT spending and trying to figure out the smartest ways to allocate precious resources, IDC analyst Joseph Pucciarelli said.

"They are doing an organizational time out to step back and assess."

Pucciarelli expects that for at least two years a key operating principle for firms will be "Don't tell me what new technology will do, tell me how much I will save by buying it."

The aftermath of the infamous dot-com bust eight years ago showed that surviving businesses can thrive if they keep technology platforms ready to handle economic rebounds that typically follow crashes.

"Economic cycles come and go; this is about responding," Pucciarelli said. "We tell clients it's time to pause, reconsider, and then continue to use IT to drive the business plan."

HP's optimization package includes enhanced Quality Center and Universal Configuration Management Database software that provides managers of IT departments signposts for cutting costs while getting more out of data centers.

UCMB predicts problems with applications, letting businesses avoid woes such as automated bank teller machines crashing or online services stalling.

"What we are seeing and advocating to customers is that IT shops need to move into much more of a predictive mode," said HP BTO vice president Ronnen Armon. "Today, a lot of work is done through firefighting."

HP has seen a surge in businesses paying for its software as an online service, which is cheaper than buying hardware and applications.

"IT managers have been asked to squeeze as much as possible out of IT expenses," said HP Software-as-a-Service vice president Marc Oleson.

Pucciarelli said there is an industry wide increase demand for SaaS and offerings promising businesses ways to get more out of the technology they already own.

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