IDC European Vertical Markets Study Examines Vertical Market IT Solution Opportunities in 2013

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06 Feb 2013

MILAN, February 6, 2013 - A new study from International Data Corporation (IDC) looks at Western European vertical market investment plans for storage, content management, unified communications, BI and analytics, ERP, and CRM.

The study finds that as we enter 2013 Western European companies across all vertical markets will maintain a strong focus on investments in security. Storage will also remain a key investment area across most, if not all, vertical markets. The study also shows, however, that different opportunities exist from a vertical market perspective. In particular:

• Government, telecom/media, and utilities/oil and gas will drive demand for content management solutions.
• Investments in unified communications have rebounded since last year and will be particularly important in telecom/media, financial services, government, and retail/wholesale.
• The retail/wholesale vertical had the most respondents indicating plans to invest in BI and analytics. A significant number of respondents also cited plans to invest in the telecom/media and healthcare verticals.
• Manufacturing companies, early adopters of ERP, are expected to continue to focus their investments here. Particularly strong demand is anticipated in process manufacturing, but survey results also show that opportunities are at hand in utilities/oil and gas, financial services (owing to first-time implementations), and telecom/media.
• CRM has fallen back in importance in terms of investments this year compared with last year. Even so, telecom/media and utilities/oil and gas have healthy plans in this area, while CRM is also making inroads into professional services.

"Economic conditions are still volatile and Western European companies across most if not all vertical market sectors are taking a cautious approach to IT spending," said Nina Bonagura, senior research analyst, IDC European Industry Solutions. "However, IT solutions will remain a core part of investments. Security is expected to remain the key investment area for 2013, but opportunities are at hand in other technology areas, as shown by our latest survey."

The study - IT Solutions, A Look at 2013 Investment Plans Among Western European Vertical Markets: An IDC Survey (IDC #M01V, February 2013) - looks at vertical market demand dynamics in 2013 for storage, content management, unified communications, BI and analytics, ERP, and CRM, based on the results of the recently completed IDC European Vertical Markets survey of 1,603 Western European companies with more than 20 employees.

To find out more about the survey, including topics covered and scheduled publications, please refer to the free methodology document A Look Into 2013 Vertical Markets and SMBs: IDC European Vertical Markets Survey 2012, Methodology (IDC #M11U, October 2012).

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. IDC helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community make fact-based decisions on technology purchases and business strategy. More than 1000 IDC analysts provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries worldwide. For more than 45 years, IDC has provided strategic insights to help our clients achieve their key business objectives. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research, and events company. You can learn more about IDC by visiting www.idc.com.

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