Many midsized businesses are planning to increase IT spending in the next 12 to 18 months, as budgets begin to clear, the economy continues to accelerate, and companies put increased emphasis on reaching out to their customers, according to survey commissioned by IBM (NYSE: IBM).
The report, titled “Inside the Midmarket: A 2011 Perspective,” conducted by researcher KS&R surveyed more than 2,100 IT decision makers in medium-sized businesses (i.e., between 100 and 1,000 users) worldwide. The survey was conducted during the fourth quarter of 2010.
“The strategic mindset of midsize firms has dramatically shifted during these challenging times to place more emphasis on growth, innovation, and customer value,” the survey report says.
“In 2009, midsize businesses (53 percent) were mainly consumed with reducing costs and increasing efficiencies,” according to the report.
While spending looks to be up, the overall focus remains the same. For example, 76 percent of respondents said their top priority in 2011 is to reduce costs and improve efficiencies. And 70 percent of decision makers said their top priority is to increase employee productivity.
