2009 IT spending will be negative
By Shalini Singh

American organization ChangeWave harnesses the views of its research network of 20,000 highly qualified business, technology, and medical professionals to predict what the tech markets will be like in the near future. Its members represent a broad cross section of vertical markets such as software, telecom, healthcare, energy and semiconductors.

ChangeWave membership is a wide range of professional disciplines including managers, programmers, executives, sales personnel, engineers, and physicians. Nearly three-in-five members (56%) have advanced graduate degrees (e.g., Masters or Ph.D.) and 92% have at least a 4-year bachelor’s degree.

So what is ChangeWave’s prediction for US business spending in the near future?  The short term future looks bleak with IT spending for the 1st Quarter of 2009 non-existent and negative.   An unprecedented 45% of respondents said their company's IT spending will decrease (or there will be no spending at all) in the 1st Quarter - 16-pts worse than their previous survey.

ChangeWave also asked respondents if their IT spending was on track thus far in the current 4th Quarter. By a wide margin, these results are also the worst on record.  Nearly four-in-ten (39%) said they've spent "Less than Planned" so far this quarter - 9-pts worse than in their previous survey. Just 8% have spent "More than planned" - a 4-pt drop from previously.

Moreover, in the aftermath of the U.S. presidential election, respondents do not see any immediate improvement occurring in their company's IT spending. In fact, nearly half (48%) now believe IT spending won't pick up for their company until the 3rd Quarter of 2009 or later - a two-fold increase since their August survey.

The ChangeWave report can be read at this link