IT spending: Where does it go from here?

Technology spending is on the rise - with the general pattern pointing towards increased investment in security, CRM and ecommerce software.

Better news still for vendors, many companies in the US and across Europe have shelved ideas of a clearly visible return on investment, according to the findings of an IDG survey commissioned by Getronics.

Forty-one per cent of companies surveyed said they expect spending to increase over the coming year, while 44 per cent said they expect spending to remain static. Only 14 per cent of companies said they expect company IT spend to decline.

Security was put as a top priority for the coming year by 36 per cent of companies surveyed. In the US only 23 per cent put security as their top priority, while in Europe the figure was higher at 38 per cent.

It is also boom times for outsourcing. It accounts for 30 per cent of all IT spending across the survey sample - with 43 per cent citing cost saving as the major reason for outsourcing.