As the General Manager and Head of European Operations for Concur, I’m deeply committed to focusing on our operations over here in Europe where several key developments – not least the recent acquisition of Etap-On-Line – has really strengthened our hand.

Our presence in Europe is growing quickly. In fact, I recently met with the editor, Stanley Slaughter, of Air and Business Travel News (ABTN). Stanley is a respected journalist in our space and our conversation can be viewed here.

One thing Stanley and I touched on was something that has really shaken the industry this year – the MPs expenses scandal in Westminster. It struck me that after the scandal, for the first time, expense management really stepped into the limelight gripping the interest of not only the UK public, but right across the globe. Whilst MPs were claiming for moats and duck houses, businesses began more than ever to scrutinize what their employees were spending company money on. This – combined with the recession – has resulted in stricter T&E policies and businesses re-evaluating the need to travel on business.

The MP scandal was surely a key trend in 2009. We also saw growing developments with mobility. Increasingly, the mobile phone is becoming the business traveler's handy companion, not only allowing them to make calls and send emails, but also empowering them to complete more advanced tasks whilst on the move – thus, Concur® Mobile was born. I expect mobility to continue to be a growing trend in 2010 as organizations continue to look for ways to manage travel and expenses smarter. But, outside of mobility, the question remains, what does 2010 have in store for the expense management industry?