21 Jan 2010

IT spending 'to increase this year'

The amount companies spend on IT provisions is set to increase by 1.3 per cent in 2010, a new report by Gartner has shown.

As a result, the majority of IT decision-makers are planning to invest extra funds in cloud computing and virtual networks in a bid to stay one step ahead of their competitors and to boost data management efficiency.

Mark McDonald, head of research for Gartner, said: "[Firms] see 2010 as an opportunity to accelerate IT's transition from a support function to strategic contributor focused on innovation and competitive advantage."

Elsewhere, a spokesperson for BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, recently noted a lack of understanding and knowledge of the systems that are currently available is holding back the uptake of next-generation data management in the UK.

As a result, IT providers need to do more to promote their benefits to companies and individuals in order to boost the uptake of new technologies.