New research from Gartner suggests that organizations will continue to accelerate their digital transformation in 2021 and beyond, and that could require the help of the pro AV industry and system integrators.
According to a Gartner forecast, global IT spending is expected to grow by 6.2% this year as organizations continue on their digital transformation journey that was accelerated early last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This comes after worldwide IT spending actually declined last year at a 3.2% clip as CIOs prioritized spending on mission-critical technologies that helped their organizations remain viable in 2020.
According to the research organization, spending on devices and communications services will increase by 6% and 4.5%, respectively, which gives the pro AV industry and integrators insight into how customers are thinking about the return to work.
Jon-David Lovelock, a distinguished research vice president at Gartner, said in a statement that CIOs in 2021 must continue to save cash while expanding IT capabilities.
“With the economy returning to a level of certainty, companies are investing in IT in a manner consistent with their expectations for growth, not their current revenue levels,” Lovelock said. “Digital business, led by projects with a short Time to Value, will get more money and board level attention going into 2021.”
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The device segment growth is second only to enterprise software, which is expected to grow at an 8.8% clip due to expanded remote or hybrid work.
However, there are a combination of factors that push devices higher, Lovelock said.
“As countries continue remote education through this year, there will be a demand for tablets and laptops for students,” Lovelock said. “Likewise, enterprises are industrializing remote work for employees as quarantine measures keep employees at home and budget stabilization allows CIOs to reinvest in assets that were sweated in 2020.”
This acceleration of digital business transformation is expected to continue through 2024 as organizations continue to adopt remote work and digital touchpoints, and IT spending related to remote work is expected to grow 4.9% in 2021.
Other IT segments in Gartner’s report are also expected to grow, including data center systems (6.2%), IT services (6.0%) and communication services (4.5%).
