CIOs and CTOs plan to spend their budgets when the recession
is over on the IT purchases they had to put on hold in 2009, according to a report
by staffing company Robert Half Technology, which polled 1,400 technology
decision makers.
What areas will they spend in?
The largest single category of spending, at 37 percent, was just what you would
expect it to be: hardware and software. Web design and virtualization tied at
16 percent, while social media came in at 9 percent. Internal collaboration
technology tools garnered 12 percent; cloud computing spending is expected by
11 percent of technology executives polled.
IT spending projection studies for 2010 from Forrester and IDC
have predicted an expansion of IT spending in 2010 after an abysmal 2009
dominated by slashed budgets and the loss of a sizable percentage of technology
jobs. The question in terms of jobs now, however, is whether we are in a period
of post-recession with jobless recovery. Depends which economist or chief
financial officer you ask. There is also the question of whether an increase in
spending on technology necessarily amounts to new jobs being created.
Earlier this week, eWEEK reported on news from AICPA (American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants) and the University of North
Carolina
that showed a gloomy outlook on hiring and IT spending in 2010.
Robert Half Technology's last IT Hiring and Skills Index showed 89 percent—an
overwhelming majority of CIOs—keeping staffing levels flat. Nearly a quarter of
those surveyed (23 percent) by AICPA said they are understaffed, but are not
hiring because they are being cautious about the economy. It stands to reason
that many industries cut deeply and could benefit from contract, consulting or
freelance help.
"Companies will often bring in IT consultants to help manage a major
upgrade or new system rollout where adding additional full-time staff isn't
necessary," said John Reed, central district president for Robert Half
Technology. "If the organization decides to add full-time staff once the
project is complete, the consultants who helped manage the project already have
a foot in the door ... Positions in network support and help desk will be
needed to ensure rollouts go smoothly and end users are supported as they learn
new systems and applications. IT security professionals will be needed to
ensure organizations' data are safe, and to anticipate and correct any security
issues that arise from these upgrades. It's also likely that Web developers
will be needed as companies upgrade their Websites and add rich applications
and user features."
Reed may be on to something regarding consulting and contracting work, analysis
of government data from 2009 shows.
"The most robust job segment, Management and Technical Consulting
Services, has gained a net 13,600 jobs in the first 11 months of 2009, with net
job gains in four of the last five months," technology analyst David Foote
of Foote Partners said in a December report.
Looking beyond contract work, Reed advised IT job seekers to reach deep into
their networks and focus on finding about job openings before they go public.
"Job seekers should explore every route to uncover these opportunities.
Networking both online and in person with professional contacts, colleagues,
and friends and family can be a great way to learn about openings before a
position is posted," Reed told eWEEK.
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