Global IT spending set to accelerate in 2013

London – Worldwide IT spending was expected to rise 4.2% in 2013 to $3.7 trillion (R31.8 trillion), a pick-up from 1.2% growth forecast for last year as the gloom hanging over businesses and consumers starts to lift, industry research firm Gartner said.

Much of the uncertainty surrounding prospects for an upturn in global economic growth is nearing resolution, managing vice-president Richard Gordon said. “As it does, we look for accelerated spending growth in 2013 compared to 2012.”

Spending on devices such as PCs, tablets, mobile phones and printers was forecast to reach $666 billion, up 6.3%.

The rise was below the 7.9% Gartner previously forecasted, partly because of increased price competition from android devices in the tablet market.

Worldwide enterprise software spending would rise 6.4% to $296 billion, Gartner said today, driven by the security, storage management and customer relationship management sectors.

Telecom services, which continue to be the largest IT market, would be flat over the next few years as higher revenue from mobile data services was offset by declines in fixed and mobile voice services markets, Gartner said.

- Reuters