Global IT spend to grow 1.4% to $3.5 tn in 2017: Gartner

NEW DELHI: Global IT spending is projected to total $3.5 trillion in 2017, an increase of 1.4 per cent over 2016, according to research firm Gartner.

This forecast is lower than the previous quarter's estimate of 2.7 per cent partly because of rising US dollar, Gartner said in a report.

"The strong US dollar has cut $67 billion out of our 2017 IT spending forecast. We expect these currency headwinds to be a drag on earnings of US-based multinational IT vendors through 2017," Gartner Research vice-president John-David Lovelock said.

The data centre system segment is expected to grow 0.3 per cent in 2017 to $171 billion, while spending on enterprise software is pegged to touch $351 billion (up 5.5 per cent).

Spending on devices and IT services is forecast to grow by 1.7 per cent and 2.3 per cent to $645 billion and $917 billion, respectively this year.

"The modest changes to the IT services forecast this quarter can be characterised as adjustments to particular geographies as a result of potential changes of direction anticipated regarding US policy -- both foreign and domestic," Gartner said.

Communications services, which comprises the largest chunk of the IT spending, is expected to see a marginal decline to $1.3 trillion at the end of 2017.