US tops IT competitiveness rankings

Despite the prolonged economic downturn, the U.S. remains the most competitive nation for information technology, according to a report from the Business Software Alliance (BSA).

The group ranked 66 nations on their overall business environment, IT infrastructure, human capital, research and development, legal environment and public support for industry development. The U.S. came out on top, followed by Finland, Singapore, Sweden, the U.K. and Denmark.

“It is abundantly clear from this year’s IT Industry Competitiveness Index that investing in the fundamentals of technology innovation will pay huge dividends over the long term,” said BSA president and CEO Robert Holleyman.

“It is also clear that no country holds a monopoly in information technology. There is a proven formula for success, and everyone is free to take advantage of it."

The biggest movers in this year's rankings were Malaysia and India, which jumped 11 and 10 spots, respectively, thanks to strong research and development in both nations.

Conversely, Canada droppped three places to seventh after slipping on R&D and intellectual property protection. China's rise was also slowed by the country's poor record of protecting IP rights.