Port Washington, N.Y. — Small and medium businesses (SMB) intend to boost their IT spending over the next 12 months, with retailers expected to grab a portion of sales, according to The NPD Group.
The research firm’s latest study on companies with 50 to 999 workers forecasts an average spending increase through the end of year. This is the first time since January 2012 that SMB’s have signaled their intention to boost IT expenditures.
About 11 percent to 15 percent of this spending will take place at retail outlets, said Stephen Baker, industry analysis VP at NPD.
Tablets purchases are at the top of many SMB wish lists, with NPD finding that about 50 percent of companies expected to buy a tablet. Other items include networking, storage (Cloud and conventional) and new PCs.
Baker noted that the increased PC purchases are, in part, due to the regular replacement cycle, but giving extra incentive is Microsoft ending its support of Windows XP.
