IT managers and directors on both sides of the Atlantic believe
that IT spending growth is set to remain low, according to research
from RoperNOP Technology.
The study found that key IT decision makers in the US and the UK
expect a 4% increase in IT investment in 2002. Double-digit growth
was the norm during the 1990s and in 2000.
Networking equipment, systems software and enterprise servers were
all key areas cited as driving the long-term increase in IT
spending. US respondents also mentioned the importance of
investment in desktop and laptop PCs.
Richard Jameson, managing director at RoperNOP Technology, said,
"My interpretation of this is that a lot of projects have been put
on hold, which frees up a lot more in-house resources to handle
those that remain." However, he stressed that the research also
revealed a degree of cautious optimism about the future of IT
investment.
The results are based on a survey of 600 IT decision-makers in
organisations ranging from small firms to large corporations.
RoperNOP, which is the technology division of market research
company NOP World, plans to undertake the survey annually among
4,000 key IT decision makers in the UK, France, Germany and the US.