Trends Slideshow:
IT Budgets Rising in Midsize Companies

According to a recent study commissioned by IBM and conducted by KS&R entitled "Inside the Midmarket: A 2011 Perspective", 53 percent of midsize companies (100-1,000 employees) are planning to increase their IT budgets over the next 12 to 18 months (in the spring 2009 Midmarket survey, only 20 percent of respondents planned to do so). As a result of that increase, 70 percent are actively pursuing business analytics solutions, and 66 percent are either planning or currently implementing cloud-based technologies. “The survey findings show that midsize firms are tackling a new set of opportunities to position themselves for success and tap into new sources of growth,” says Andy Monshaw, General Manager, IBM Midmarket. “When we spoke to midsize firms 18 months ago, most were focused on reducing costs and improving efficiencies. Today, the conversation is also about growth, connecting with customers and gaining greater insights. It’s a much different environment.” To advance these new priorities, more than 70 percent of midsize firms say they’re seeking a consultative, rather than purely transactional, relationship with their primary IT provider. The global survey of 2,112 business and information technology decision makers at midsize businesses was conducted in the fourth quarter of 2010 across several industries, including banking, retail, consumer products, wholesale, transportation, industrial products, and insurance. Respondents were located in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, Japan, China, Brazil, India, Russia, Australia, Mexico, Korea, Singapore, South Africa, Poland, New Zealand and the Czech Republic.