Worldwide IT spending is projected to total USD 3.7 trillion this year, a 2 percent increase from 2012 spending of USD 3.6 trillion, according to a study by Gartner. Last quarter, the researcher’s forecast for IT spending growth in US dollars was 4.1 percent. The 2.1 percentage point reduction mainly reflects the impact of recent fluctuations in US dollar exchange rates; growth in constant currency is forecast at 3.5 percent for this year, down only slightly from last quarter.
The forecast for spending on devices has been revised down from 7.9 percent growth in Gartner's previous forecast to 2.8 percent. The decline in PC sales recorded in the first quarter continued into the second quarter with little recovery expected during the second half of this year. Tablet revenue is expected to grow 2.8 percent, while mobile phone revenue is projected to increase 7.4 percent this year. Enterprise software spending will grow 6.4 percent this year.
Growth expectations for customer relationship management (CRM) have been raised to reflect expanded coverage into e-commerce, social and mobile. Expectations for digital content creation and operating systems have been reduced as software as a service (SaaS) and changing device demands impact traditional models and markets.
Telecom services spending is forecast to grow 0.9 percent. Fixed broadband is showing slightly higher than anticipated growth. The impact of voice substitution is mixed as it is moving faster in the consumer sector, but slightly slower in the enterprise market.
