National Monitor
VERNON HILLS, Ill. – November 12, 2008 – After an uncertain economic environment in 2008 dampened confidence, 41 percent of IT decision makers across government and corporate sectors cite cost management as their biggest priority when looking ahead to 2009.
According to the second annual year-in-review survey of business and government organizations by CDW Corporation, business priorities involving spending dropped from the previous year. Thirty-five percent of IT decision makers report that growing their market share is a top priority for 2009 (down six percentage points from 2008), and twenty percent cite employee recruitment and retention (down five percentage points from 2008).
The only surprising result is that 32 percent of IT decision makers cite investment in new products and technologies as the top priority for 2009—an increase of five percentage points from 2008.
“Given recent economic challenges, cost management surpassed everything—even growing market share—as the biggest priority for the coming year,” said CDW Vice President Mark Gambill, the company’s executive responsible for market insights. “Many times, organizational objectives are set well in advance, and after navigating through the volatile market conditions that have become the defining characteristic of 2008, IT decision makers are preparing for 2009 by planning for the one element they can control—cost.”
Not surprisingly, market conditions presented the greatest challenge to IT decision makers in 2008. Fifty-seven percent of corporate IT decision makers report that the economy was the biggest obstacle to growth—a 16 percentage point increase from 2008. Twenty-three percent said the biggest obstacle was cash flow/access to financing, and 19 percent said internal operational costs. For more information about attitudes of IT decision makers on 2008 and 2009, please visit www.cdwitmonitor.com.
Other key findings from CDW’s year-in-review survey:
| What is the one most important priority for 2009? | Small Businesses (1-99 employees) | Medium-Size Businesses (100-999 employees) | Large Businesses (1,000+ employees) | Overall Corporate | Overall Government |
| Growing Market Share | 26% | 21% | 16% | 20% | N/A |
| Managing Operational Cost | 13% | 20% | 13% | 14% | 29% |
| Employee Recruitment and Retention | 2% | 2% | 7% | 4% | 7% |
| Improving Technology | 4% | 13% | 12% | 10% | 7% |
About the CDW year-in-review survey
The CDW year-in-review survey was created by CDW Corporation, and research and analysis is conducted by independent polling firm Richard Day Research of Evanston, Ill. Decision makers are invited from two large national panels of IT decision makers built and maintained by E-Rewards and Survey Sampling International. Data reported in this release is based on a survey of 1,058 IT decision makers conducted between September 15 and September 22, 2008.
CDW Corporation also publishes the CDW IT Monitor, a bimonthly indicator of the direction, momentum and mindset of the U.S. IT marketplace. The IT Monitor is based on a national online survey of at least 1,000 IT decision makers from business (small, medium and large) and government (state, federal and local) sectors.
About CDW
CDW is a leading provider of technology solutions for business, government and education. Ranked No. 34 on Forbes’ list of America’s Largest Private Companies, CDW features dedicated account managers who help customers choose the right technology products and services to meet their needs. The company’s technology specialists offer expertise in designing customized solutions, while its advanced technology engineers can assist customers with the implementation and long-term management of those solutions. Areas of focus include notebooks, desktops, printers, servers and storage, unified communications, security, wireless, power and cooling, networking, software licensing and mobility solutions.
CDW was founded in 1984 and as of September 30, 2008 employed approximately 6,900 coworkers. In 2007, the company generated sales of $8.1 billion. For more information, visit CDW.com.
