Not so long ago, High Tech’s business customers drove the agenda in many companies. The downturn of the early 2000s shifted that dynamic as the technology sector lost it luster, while its customers – IT buyers – were reined in and aligned closely with short-term business goals. High Tech sellers were compelled to deliver more for less – a demand that remains stronger than ever, even as the economic fortunes of customers and the High Tech sector have improved.

Over the next five years, High Tech executives will have to remain focused on improving bottom-line operational costs while investing in innovations that hold out the promise of top-line growth. They must do all this while keeping on eye on a rising tide of low-cost attackers, especially the maturing competitors in developing economies whom they have thus far considered their suppliers. Increasingly, these competitors will wade into global markets and match offerings of incumbent leaders at significantly reduced prices –serving not only existing customers but also the next billion consumers who are rapidly entering the middle class.

New delivery models for products and services are also an imperative: Software, once measured by site licenses and annual maintenance fees, is increasingly being offered on a subscription basis and in other dynamic pricing models. New relationships will also be key, especially in consumer electronics where traditional hardware manufacturers and software developers must now partner with content makers and distributors to create mutually beneficial platforms.

Finally, as more value in the economy shifts from transactional to tacit interactions, technology companies must find ways to tap this value by enabling new modes of communication. Where technology once focused mainly on improving physical manufacturing and then on facilitating commercial transactions, a wide opportunity remains in developing systems, products and services that improve the productivity of knowledge workers. Innovations in this realm will help ensure top-line growth, not only for High Tech companies but also for the customers they serve.