My fellow IT workers, 2010 should (hopefully) be a better year. IT spending projected to grow 6.6%.

[Statistical]

8.1% jump projected in global IT spending

The technology spending slump is "unofficially over," according to Forrester Research. The research firm projects an 8.1 percent increase in global tech spending to more than $1.6 trillion for 2010 and a 6.6 percent increase in the U.S. to $568 billion. This comes after an 8.9 percent drop in tech spending around the world in 2009 and an 8.2 percent decline in the U.S. Forrester analyst Andrew Bartels says that domestic tech spending will outpace the rest of the U.S. economy this year, growing at more than twice the rate of gross domestic product.

"All the pieces are in place for a 2010 tech-spending rebound," Bartels wrote. The hardware and software sectors will lead the tech spending recovery, he projects, with an 8.2 percent rise in global computer equipment purchases, 7.6 percent in communications equipment and 9.7 percent in software spending.

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http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2010/01/11/daily24.html

I know a lot of unemployed IT workers hopefully this is a light at the end of the tunnel. Even us that are still employed have little power to negotiate higher wages when so many are "willing to do our job" for less.

[MindPilot]

1. there is a lot of pent-up demand out there

I'm working on a project later this week--the company is upgrading from Win2k to Vista.

I've been looking for work since June and mostly nothing, but in the past month, I've had two temp projects and at least a dozen calls from recruiters. It is starting to pick up.

[Statistical]

3. Vista? Kinda strange since Win2K is out.

Then again I have done many things that didn't make sense because that was what the people writing checks wanted. :)

I agree with you on things picking up. I put resumes out last Feb and it was dead. I did it again in Dec and much more "action" (phone calls, recruiters, email traffic, HR people noticing my resume on Monster/Dice etc) and ultimately landed a new job.

Between Feb 09 and Dec 09 was like night and day in difference.

[MindPilot]

7. Did you mean Win 7?

Yeah, I know. This is one of those are-you-sure-you-want-me-to-do-this? projects. But consider these folks are using a decade-old OS (and probably hardware)and finally getting around to beginning to catch up.

[Statistical]

8. Er oops. Yeah Win7.

Well Vista isn't that bad w/ latest service pack but given Win7 is leaner it likely would run better on older hardware.

That being said I have learned you try to educate the client but ultimately I am not going to lose the contract because what they want me to do is stupid.

Who knows same company might want you to upgrade them to 7 in 18 months. :) Job security.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

6. I know this is beside the point

But Vista? The gears must have been in motion on this project for awhile, because Windows 7 seems like a no brainer compared with Vista. In any case, work is work.

[MindPilot]

9. Yep. Not gonna argue with the people signing the checks.

[tridim]

2. I don't think it matters..

They'll still treat us like dirt. I've put up with it for way too long, so I'm looking elsewhere.

I saw a job last week that fit my skillset advertised at $12/hr, a job that paid 80K/year 10 years ago. :rofl:

[undeterred]

4. Yup.

I am amazed at what they're going to get away with exploiting us this year.

[TommyO]

5. As somebody in IT who was recently laid off after 26 years, I hope so

[Larkspur]

10. I hope so but afraid they'll ship jobs to India

[lumberjack_jeff]

11. Wipro rejoices. The rest of us? Not so much. n/t

[DavidDvorkin]

12. I hope so

I've been out of work since May. The IT job situation is better here (Denver) than in most of the country, but it's still very bad. In my case, there's the added problem of age discrimination, but there's no way to stop that.

There are so many of us cast-off IT workers that I keep expecting to hear about some kind of new program to reprocess us and use us to fill potholes in the streets.