Market Overview
BMI View:USA IT spending is expected to reach US$558bn in 2012, up 5.5%, with BMI upwardly revising its forecast due to macroeconomic factors. Overall moderate growth in budgets is expected in 2012, but much depends on the economic situation. Despite a drive to cut expenses across government, many public sector organisations have appeared willing to continue to spend on IT. US businesses remain cautious, but there is pent-up demand from projects delayed as a result of the economic situation and cloud computing is expected to be increasingly important.
Headline Expenditure Projections
Computer hardware sales: US$142bn in 2011 to US$147bn in 2012, +3.6% in US dollar terms. Forecast in US dollar terms upwardly revised due to macroeconomic factors, but parts shortages could restrain growth in H112.
Software sales: US$153bn in 2011 to US$163bn in 2012, +6.4% in US dollar terms.
Forecast in US dollar terms upwardly revised due to analyst modification, with more investment in utility software and serviced-orientated architectures rather than traditionally packaged PC software.
IT services sales: US$235bn in 2011 to US$249bn in 2012, +6.0% in US dollar terms.
Forecast in US dollar terms upwardly revised due to analyst modification as spending on IT services is quite closely correlated with GDP growth
Risk/Reward Ratings: The USA's score was 76.25 out of 100.0.
The USA ranks first in our latest Americas RRR table, ahead of Canada, as well as Latin American giants such as Brazil and Mexico. The country ranking was secured by its global highest Industry Rewards score of 82.50, while its rating was also boosted a relatively high Country Rewards score of 90.00.
Key Trends & Developments.
.. IT vendors will be concerned when it comes to the effect of the ongoing US federal deficit issue and the failure of politicians to agree a deficit reduction programme. If automatic federal spending cuts kick in during the next fiscal year, this could hit IT projects. The November 2012 elections will also create uncertainty about the trajectory of future government IT spending.
.. In 2012 there are expected to be many more contracts for provision of cloud services, following contracts awarded in 2011 by the cities of New York and Los Angeles, and the General Services Administration (GSA) of the federal government. The recession may have had a lasting effect on the IT market by encouraging consideration of cloud computing models such as SaaS.
US PC sales are forecast to report single-digit growth in 2012, after an annualised contraction in Q411, closing off a difficult year. The market slowdown was due in part to base effects, but a contributory factor was disappointing sales in the consumer segment, particularly notebooks. Meanwhile, a shortage of harddisk drives resulting from floods in Thailand is forecast to restrain market growth in H112, with faster growth likely in H212.
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United States Information Technology Report Q2 2012
