New InformationWeek Reports Research Finds 30% of Companies Still Expect an IT Hiring Freeze into 2012

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- InformationWeek Reports (reports.informationweek.com), 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 Outlook survey. 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.

 

The report author, Chris Murphy, is editor of InformationWeek, where he has worked as an editor and writer since 1999.

For full access to the research data, members can download now: http://reports.informationweek.com/abstract/83/8621/IT-Business-Strategy/research-outlook-2012.html

"Since 83% of respondents to our 2012 Outlook poll are management, either IT (70%) or corporate (13%), this survey gives a very clear picture of plans," says Lorna Garey, content director of InformationWeek Reports. "Areas covered in the report include what to expect in emerging tablet, enterprise social networking, data center and big data technologies."

For more information:
Art Wittmann    
VP & Managing Director, InformationWeek Reports
415-947-6361
awittmann@techweb.com

About InformationWeek Business Technology Network (http://www.informationweek.com)

The InformationWeek Business Technology Network provides IT executives with unique analysis and tools that parallel their work flow—from defining and framing objectives through to the evaluation and recommendation of solutions. Anchored by InformationWeek, the multimedia powerhouse that looks across the enterprise, the network scales across the most critical technology categories with online properties like DarkReading.com (security), NetworkComputing.com (networking and communications) and BYTE (consumer technology). The network also provides focused content for key IT targets, such as CIOs, developers, and SMBs via InformationWeek Global CIO, Dr. Dobb's and InformationWeek SMB, as well as vital vertical industries with InformationWeek Financial Services, Government and Healthcare sites. Content is at the nucleus of our information distribution strategy—IT professionals turn to our experts and communities to stay informed, get advice and research technologies to make strategic business decisions.

About UBM TechWeb (http://www.ubmtechweb.com)

UBM TechWeb, the global leader in technology media and professional information, enables people and organizations to harness the transformative power of technology. Through its three core businesses – media solutions, marketing services and paid content – UBM TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed brands and media applications in the technology market. More than 14.5 million business and technology professionals (CIOs and IT managers, Web & Digital professionals, Software Developers, Government decision makers, and Telecom providers) actively engage in UBM TechWeb's communities and information resources monthly. UBM TechWeb brands include: global face-to-face events such as Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat and Enterprise Connect; award-winning online resources such as InformationWeek, Light Reading, and Network Computing; and market-leading magazines InformationWeek, Wall Street & Technology, and Advanced Trading. UBM TechWeb is a UBM plc company, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion.

SOURCE UBM TechWeb