Leading IT market research and advisory firm IDC expects worldwide IT spending to turn positive in 2010. Global IT spending is expected grow 2.9% in 2010 before nearly doubling to 5.7% in 2012. The drop in worldwide GDP forecast for 2009 is expected to lead to a 1.8% negative growth in global IT spends during the current year.

Global telecommunications services growth will drop to 3.2% in 2009 and trend downward as a result of market consolidation and maturation after that to 2.1% growth in 2012.

Boston-based IDC’s Chief Research Officer Mr. John Gantz will share these findings in a web presentation on “Has the Slowdown Bottomed-out Yet: Where Are We on the Curve?” with Indian business leaders early next week.

IDC’s assessment of the impact of the global economic downturn on ICT spending is based on the five pronounced and several mini downturns in the global economy during the life of the modern computer era. This also factors in views of 300 US CIOs and business leaders polled each month in the past year on their future ICT budgets.

Demystifying the IT business cycles IDC’s Senior Vice President and Chief Research Officer Mr. John Gantz said, “The new technology paradigm often creates a speculative bubble until reality sets in leading to a crash. This crash, which last occurred in 2000-2002, leads to a long term period of IT growth as the new paradigm is fully realized.”

“We are in the best part of the IT business cycle to face an economic crisis,” says Mr. Gantz, an IT industry analyst and columnist for over 30 years, adding that it could be a lot worse for ICT if the industry had not already been through the 2002 IT slowdown.

“China, India, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam are among the list of higher growth Asian ICT economies. IDC has also identified several high growth technologies as well as opportunities to watch for in 2010 and beyond,” says IDC India Country Manager Kapil Dev Singh announcing Infusion – an interactive, round-the-year program for ICT market participants.

About IDC
IDC is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy. More than 1,000 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries worldwide. For more than 45 years, IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company. You can learn more about IDC by visiting www.idc.com.

About Mr. John Gantz
Mr. Gantz has responsibility for IDC’s worldwide demand-side research, global market models, and research quality control and standards. He is also a member of IDC's management committee, chief architect of IDC's Worldwide Digital Marketplace Model (formerly the Worldwide Internet Commerce Market Model, TM,) IT Economic Impact Model, and PC Software Piracy research. He is one of IDC's chief spokespersons on broad technology and market issues at major forums in the United States and around the world.

Mr. Gantz has been an IT industry analyst and columnist for more than 30 years. His publications and columns have appeared in Fortune, Forbes, Computerworld, Infoworld, Computer Graphics World, and Industry Week. Additional national and international exposure has come through quotes in all major business publications, interviews on CNN, NBC, Reuters, Bloomberg and other network news shows, and chairperson assignments at major computer industry trade shows. For the last five years, he has also been a judge of the CIO China awards. Most recently, he has become IDC's chief spokesperson on the issue of digital piracy.

About IDC India
IDC (India) Ltd., set up in 1987 is an ISO 9001:2000 company. IDC (India) Ltd., a subsidiary of CyberMedia, is regarded as the country’s most comprehensive, dependable and respected source for market intelligence and consulting in the fields of IT, telecommunications and consumer technology. With its head office at Gurgaon (near New Delhi), the company has branch offices in Bangalore, Chennai, and Mumbai. Additional information about IDC India's research, advisory and Go-To-Market service offerings can be found at www.idcindia.com.

About Infusion Program
Infusion, a round-the-year, interactive program for ICT market participants is a new initiative from IDC India. The Infusion Program aims to bring information tools, resources and insights to help vendors realign their strategies dynamically in order to exploit emerging business opportunities. More details on the Infusion Program can be found at http://www.idcindia.com/infusion/index.asp

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