SMEs shrug off downturn to up IT spend
Published: 12 Nov 2008 07:30 GMT
While the credit crunch has claimed the scalps of banks and thousands of technology jobs, UK small and medium-sized enterprises are optimistic about their technology fortunes for the coming year.
According to a survey of SMEs across the UK, US and Canada by skills body CompTIA, over half of UK small businesses expect they will increase their spending on technology and telecoms over the next 12 months — a two percent rise on 2007 figures.
The mood was less upbeat in the US and Canada, where the percentage of companies expecting to up their IT spend in the coming year fell by 12 percent and 10 percent respectively.
While UK small businesses may be expecting an increased IT budget, they're intending to spend it cautiously: 58 percent of small businesses said they will only buy kit from vendors they already use.
The lion's share of the budget will go on security, including encryption and firewall technology, the survey found.
It seems that one driver for the increased spending could be predicted growth among small businesses, with 40 percent of SMEs planning to open up to five new locations and 54 percent saying they expect to see revenue growth of over 10 percent in the coming year.
Credit: 'Downturn? What downturn?' say SMEs from silicon.com
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