Report: Mid-sized businesses will increase IT spending in 2011

A recent IBM survey found mid-sized businesses are expected to increase their IT spending during 2011. With the economy slowly gaining pre-crash form and budgets begin to clear, investment back into information technology is becoming a high priority for businesses. 

IBM's report, titled Inside the Midmarket: A 2011 Perspective, surveyed more than 2,100 IT decision makers in medium-sized businesses, which had between 100 and 1,000 users.

"The strategic mindset of mid-size firms has dramatically shifted during these challenging times to place more emphasis on growth, innovation and customer value," the report said. "In 2009, mid-size businesses - 53 percent - were mainly consumed with reducing costs and increasing efficiencies," according to the report.

The report also found that while overall spending should increase, these companies are still looking for ways to reduce costs and improve efficiencies. To address these priorities, many companies have turned toward cloud computing as a cost-effective method for managed IT services.

Several recent reports also support this trend. A recent IDC report found the cloud computing market will be worth nearly $2.4 billion by 2015, while Osterman Research polled 100 IT professionals and found the average investment in cloud computing will grow by 10 percent in 2011.