Trends Slideshow: IT Budgets Rising in Midsize Companies

Budget Increases

53 percent of respondents expect their IT budget to increase over the next 12 to 18 months; 31 say their budget is unchanged and 16 percent say their budget is decreasing or are unsure.

Top 3 Business Priorities(percent respondents)

Cost reduction/improved efficiencies (76 percent)Improved customer service (73 percent)Increased employee productivity (70 percent)

Top 3 IT Priorities(percent respondents)

Security (63 percent)Customer relationship management (62 percent)Analytics/information management (59 percent)

Infrastructure Upgrades

More than 75 percent of respondents plan upgrades to their core IT infrastructure, with the aim of improving performance, security and reliability.

Benefits from Cloud Computing

The top expected benefits from cloud computing include cost reduction, better manageability of IT, improved redundancy and availability.

Benefits from Analytics

The top expected benefits from analytics solutions include improved customer insight, increased efficiency and better decision making.

Barriers to IT Adoption(percent respondents)

Cost (58 percent)Difficulty in acquiring and implementing solutions (44 percent)Lack of IT skills and resources (39 percent)

Strategic Mindset

The majority (79 percent) of respondents characterize their strategic mindset as being focused on customers, growth and innovation. In 2009, the majority (53 percent) were focused on efficiency and cost control.