Thursday, February 14, 2008

Enterprise Software Industry to Grow 8 Percent in 2008 Despite Economic Slowdown

Despite the current economic downturn, the software industry is poised for growth in 2008, with worldwide enterprise software revenue totaling $190.7 billion in 2008, an 8.2 percent increase from 2007 revenue of $176.3 billion, according to Gartner, Inc. While the software market is forecast to grow, it will face challenges this year.

The software industry experienced unprecedented growth in the late 1990s, leading to an exaggerated, through short-lived, downturn in 2001. Since many of the factors in place during that period do not exist now, Gartner analysts do not expect an economic slowdown in the U.S. or other markets worldwide to have a strong negative effect on software spending.

Garter expects the second quarter of 2008 to be the first quarter in which some decline in revenues for software vendors is noticeable. Companies will need some time to get control of IT operations budgets and slow down discretionary budgets. In the short term, only a few types of software spending will be affected which in turn will compress the vendors in the vulnerable markets.

More information on the Service and Support industry can be found at www.Supportindustry.com

No comments: