A recent survey of Fortune 1000 respondents conducted by GRC management solutions provider, OpenPages, revealed that organizations expect investment in risk-management initiatives will increase in 2009.

According to those surveyed, over 90 percent reported that investments in GRC technology will increase or at least remain the same in 2009. In addition, 90 percent of those polled expect new laws and regulations to be introduced next year in an effort “to improve corporate risk-management oversight.”

Over 50 percent said that the current crisis has increased the priority of enterprise-wide risk management, and nearly 60 percent said that the crisis has put the risk-management function in the spotlight for the CEO and board.

Companies said that their biggest GRC challenge next year will be to “converge GRC initiatives across the enterprise,” and 70 percent characterized their current state of GRC management efforts as siloed.

Over 150 strategic risk, governance, and finance professionals from Fortune 1000 companies participated in the survey during OPUS 2008, the 5th Annual OpenPages User Symposium in Boston, MA.