spending on information technology (IT) is expected to reach US$ 4.5 trillion in 2022. The increase of 5.1% compared to 2021 is estimated in the latest research by consultancy Gartner. The reason for the reinforcement in investments is the expectations around economic recovery and expansion in the digital market, despite the potential impacts of the Ômicron variant.
The consultancy estimates that cloud computing will account for nearly all of the growth in enterprise software spend in 2022. That’s because organizations have focused on adopting the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model for more flexibility and agility.
John-David Lovelock, vice president of research at Gartner, points out that in this scenario, IT directors will be able to go beyond critical short-term projects. “Simultaneously, staff skills gaps, salary inflation and the war for talent will drive them to rely more on consultancies and managed services for their digital strategies.”
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According to Gartner, the IT services segment is expected to have the second highest growth in spending in 2022: with an increase of 7.9% compared to 2021, it should reach US$ 1.3 trillion. Spending on business and technology consulting is expected to increase by 10% in 2022.
| Worldwide expenditure forecast (billions of dollars) | ||||||
| Expenses in 2021 | Growth in 2021 | Expenses in 2022 | Growth in 2022 | Expenses in 2023 | Growth in 2023 | |
| data center systems | 216.3 | 11.4% | 226.4 | 4.7% | 237 | 4.7% |
| enterprise software | 604.9 | 14.4% | 671.7 | 11% | 751.9 | 11.9% |
| devices | 787.4 | 13% | 813.6 | 3.3% | 804.2 | -1.2% |
| IT Services | 1,186.1 | 10.7% | 1,279.7 | 7.9% | 1,391.7 | 8.8% |
| communication services | 1,444.3 | 3.4% | 1,462.7 | 1.3% | 1,494.1 | 2.2% |
| Total | 4,239.1 | 9% | 4,454.3 | 5.1% | 4,679.1 | 5% |
The urgency and pace of change should make organizations increase their reliance on external consultants by 2025. That’s because there should be a widening gap between companies’ digital business ambitions and their internal resources and capabilities.
Cloud computing
According to Lovelock, this will be more visible with the cloud. “It will be key to achieving digital ambitions and supporting hybrid work,” he says. “Most large organizations should use outside consultants to develop their strategy for years to come.”
2020 was the first year in which the cloud enterprise application software market was larger than the cloud-free one — which was partly driven by the coronavirus pandemic. By 2025, the segment is expected to have twice the size of the non-cloud market.
