New Research Finds IT Budgets Are Up, And So Is Demand For New Technology Projects

InformationWeek Reports, a service for peer-based IT research and analysis, announced the release of its latest research report. Outlook 2012 encompasses analysis of results from InformationWeek's recent survey on IT spending, staffing plans and strategies for 2012. More than 600 business technology professionals responded to this poll.

Research Summary:

IT budgets are up, and so is demand for new technology projects, according to the 2012 edition of InformationWeek's annual Outlooksurvey. Fifty-six percent of respondents say their companies plan to increase tech spending in the coming year, up from 46% two years ago. Three-quarters of respondents see heightened demand for new IT projects, up from about half in our Outlook 2010 survey. This budget growth builds on last year's momentum, while strong demand for tech projects is a positive sign for overall business expansion and investment.

Other Findings: 

-- Two years ago, the IT hiring picture was bleak: Just 14% of companies were expanding compared with 18% making cuts. Today, 25% are expanding vs. just 9% cutting back.

-- 23% say IT is viewed as a business driver and is therefore asked to cut spending less than other departments.

-- 49% of respondents say their companies will increase spending on data center software next year compared with just 9% cutting that spending; 42% say they will increase spending on data center hardware, while 12% will cut.

-- Tech pros are changing their tune about tablets: 51% of IT pros last year "strongly disagreed" that their companies would give tablets to even 10% of employees who normally would get a PC. Now just 35% of respondents are that deeply skeptical.

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