According to a survey from Gartner, about 52% of CEOs and senior executives have a digital strategy, while four in five plan to increase IT investment in 2013, rather than cut it.
The survey found that CEOs and senior executives who work for organisations with annual revenues of $250m or more, are planning to increase IT investment this year.
The research firm said as macro uncertainties abate, 78% of CEOs now feel able to plan their 2013 and 2014 investments and growth.
Gartner vice president Mark Raskino said that in 2013 business leadership teams must commit to invest bravely and deeply to redevelop the technology and information capability of their companies.
"After more than a decade of modest investment and sorting out the basics, it’s time to think ahead," Raskino said.
"Business leaders tell us they recognise the need to invest in e-commerce, mobile, cloud, social and other major technology categories, and the capabilities they enable. That can’t be done from within existing IT budgets alone."
The survey also found that 19% of business leaders expect to see a chief digital officer by 2014 and 17% expect to see a chief data officer.
Gartner vice president and analyst Jorge Lopez said CEOs and leadership teams must crystallise what they mean by digital strategy and work with a small subgroup from the executive team to define what ‘digital’ means and how it manifests in the broader business strategy.
"They must ensure all elements of the digital strategy link clearly to the core business strategy, and that they do not form an independent, possibly distracting, program of change," Lopez said.
"CIOs who intend to stay with their firms for longer than two years should be developing digital business, business information governance and innovation leadership capabilities in themselves and in their teams."
Gartner surveyed 390 senior business leaders between October and December 2012.
