Survey Shows Measured Rise in IT Optimism

In another signal that the tech recovery may have legs, a survey of more than 800 small, medium and large businesses shows that more than one company in four expects IT spending to increase in the next six months, a marked change from sentiment at the beginning of the year.

Six months ago, just 20% of the companies queried in a quarterly survey by market research firm Techtel expected spending to grow in the future, compared to 23% three months ago. The latest survey, conducted in early October, shows that 27.6% of the companies expect to spend more, 21.1% expect to spend less, and the remainder say spending will be flat.

"This is a more sustainable improvement in tech demand than anything we have for a year and a half," said Michael Kelly, CEO of the Emeryville, Calif., firm. ...