A Challenging Economy Invites Creative Tech

Despite the IT spending cutbacks brought on by the global recession, the gloomy economy will actually accelerate the adoption of transformative technologies, according to research firm IDC.

A slow global economy will speed the development and adoption of new technologies and business models because the benefits offered by these "disruptive" advances will be magnified, IDC asserts. Such advances include cloud computing and green IT.

IDC predicts that global IT spending growth will slow by half or more in 2009, effectively stripping more than $35 billion of potential revenue out of the market. Market segments with above average growth include emerging markets, such as Brazil, Russia, India and China, as well as the small and midsized business sector.

Although spending will slow significantly in these markets, it will outperform the overall market, IDC says.

In addition, government initiatives to spur economic growth and financial stability will include outlays for new technology, the firm asserts. IDC predicts that one of those will be cloud computing, as budget pressures drive users to the cloud's low costs.

While spending growth will slow for various cloud services, such as software-as-a-service and cloud storage, it will outperform more traditional IT alternatives, the firm forecasts. Green IT will be attractive due to its ability to deliver near-term cost savings, IDC predicts; although capital-intensive green investments will move down on many budget agendas.

The firm also said 2009 will see the online economy get a boost from Internet shoppers searching for better prices and products than those available in stores. Mobile "gadgets," however, will have a "grim year" as consumer spending shrinks.

And next year will see further adoption of personal and social networking technologies in the workplace. IDC says increased use of mobile technologies and Web 2.0 tools will "erode the distinctions" between work and personal environments.