World ICT market to grow to $3.62 trillion per annum in 2012: Gartner

Worldwide Information and Communications Technology (ICT) spending is expected to reach $3.62 trillion per annum in 2012, according to new figures from market research firm Gartner.

According to Gartner, the figures represent a 3% worldwide increase over 2011, despite global economic uncertainty.

“While the challenges facing global economic growth persist — the eurozone crisis, weaker US recovery, a slowdown in China— the outlook has at least stabilised,” said Gartner’s vice president of research, Richard Gordon.

“There has been little change in either business confidence or consumer sentiment in the past quarter, so the short-term outlook is for continued caution.”

According to the figures, telecommunications services including internet connections account for $US1.6 trillion of the spending, with an anticipated growth rate of 1.4%.

In contrast, the $US377 billion telecommunications equipment market is anticipated to grow by 10.8%.

The computer hardware ($US420 billion), enterprise software ($US281 billion) and IT services ($US864 billion) sectors are all anticipated to experience steady growth of between 2.3% and 4.3%.