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Worldwide government IT spending flat in 2013: Gartner

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Abhigna
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BANGALORE, INDIA: Worldwide IT spending by government organizations is projected to total $449.5 billion in 2013, a slight decrease of 0.1 percent from 2012, according to the latest forecast by Gartner, Inc.

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The forecast includes spending by government sector organizations on hardware, software, IT services and telecommunications.

Analysts revised the growth rate downward from the previous forecast of 0.2 percent growth, as government agencies continue to struggle against weak economic development, said a press release.

Despite decreased spending in some areas, a recent worldwide government IT spending priorities survey by Gartner indicated that mobile technologies, IT modernization and cloud computing are the top three focus areas for 2013. Strong interest continues to grow in professional services and big data.

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"Cloud computing, in particular, continues to increase compared with prior years, driven by economic conditions and a shift from capital expenditure to operational expenditure, as well as potentially more important factors such as faster deployment and reduced risk," said Christine Arcaris, research director at Gartner.

"Other areas, such as data center consolidation, are lower on the list than in previous years, perhaps demonstrating that they may have met resistance in a more strategic roll-out. Vendors should be ready to reposition offerings according to these changing market dynamics," added Arcaris.

The release further added that, "Survey respondents reported that they are adopting public and private cloud-based services at an increasing rate, with 30-50 percent of organizations planning for, or having an active IT services contract within the next 12 months."

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As the top priority, mobility is increasing in importance among government agencies worldwide pointed Gartner and further added, "demand is strongest in government agencies with more decentralized staff and those that have a large field workforce or specialized needs (such as border patrol agents, inspectors and social workers) and that benefit from mobile investments."

This next wave of technology adoption will develop over time, as agencies replace existing hardware with new mobile infrastructure and devices, added the research company .

The survey also indicated that while big data is not yet a high priority among survey respondents, it is gaining momentum. The focus on government efficiency and effectiveness means opportunity for big data/analytics, as it represents an emerging focal point for specific government modernization.