In a report that monitors the state of the information technology market under Corona’s pandemic conditions during the year 2020, the Gartner International Foundation for Information Technology Market Research expected that the expenditure on information technology globally during the year 2020 will reach about 3.5 trillion dollars (about 12.85 trillion dirhams), Down by 7.3% from 2019.
The report attributed this to the repercussions of the six-month global spread of the Corona virus.
However, some IT sectors recorded remarkable growth in these conditions, foremost of which is cloud infrastructure services, which achieved 13.4% growth during the first half of 2020, and is expected to continue growth until the end of the year, and personal computers that recorded growth in sales reached 2.8% during the second quarter, and its strong performance was driven by an active demand for laptops, which was associated with increased dependency on the remote work mode.
Quick recovery
According to Gartner, the decline in IT spending during 2020 is of the short-term nature followed by a rapid recovery. The decline in spending was the result of the turmoil that accompanied the spread of the "Corona" epidemic, but it will pass through short phases that will restore spending to recover by the beginning of 2021.
In this context, Gartner's Vice President of Research, John David Lovelock, said that public spending on information technology is still expected to drop sharply in 2020, but it will recover faster and more smoothly than other sectors of the economy, recording a rise of 4.3%. And, up to three trillion, 683 billion and 661 million dollars at the end of 2021.
Data centers
Gartner figures showed that the expected spending on data center systems will reach 188 billion and 365 million dollars in 2020, a decrease of 10% from 2019, which recorded 210 billion dollars, but it is expected that spending on these systems will return to recovery in 2021, To reach $ 200 billion and $ 96 million, registering a growth of 6.2% compared to 2020, but it will remain below the level of spending that prevailed in 2019.
Software projects
As for spending on projects and programs, it is expected to reach 449 billion dollars in 2020, a decrease of 5.7% from 2019, which recorded 476 billion and 687 million dollars, but it will resume recovery in 2021 to reach 482 billion and 666 million dollars, achieving a growth of 7.4% For the year 2020, exceeding the level of spending in 2019.
As for spending on hardware, excluding laptops and remote work devices, it recorded 596 billion and 914 million dollars, compared to 711 billion and 525 million dollars in 2019, but it is expected to witness a recovery in 2021 to reach 611 billion and 303 million dollars.
Personal computer
Gartner noted that the total number of personal computers sold worldwide in the second quarter of 2020 amounted to 64.8 million units, an increase of 2.8% over the second quarter of 2019, following a significant decline in the first quarter of the year, due to the repercussions Corona, which has blocked the related supply chain.
Gartner Research Director Mikako Kitagawa predicted that the second quarter of 2020 will see a short-term recovery of the computer market worldwide, led by exceptionally strong growth in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, continued business over the distance, and online education, And entertainment needs of consumers. However, this rise in demand for laptops will not continue beyond 2020.
information technology
It is expected that spending on IT services will decrease by 2020 by 6.8%, with spending of 969 billion and 348 million dollars, while spending on these services during the year 2021 is expected to reach 23 trillion and 23 billion dollars.
Telecommunications Services
Expenditures for telecommunications services are expected to decrease to 3.3% during 2020, to reach one trillion, 326 billion, and 492 million dollars, compared to one trillion, 372 billion and 236 million dollars in 2019, while it is expected to reach 2021 trillion, 366 billion and 419 million dollars.