It’s a thought-provoking headline, isn’t it? After some ups and downs in 2010 — welcome after the dips and twists of 2009 — many industry watchers are bullish on a tech-industry recovery in 2011. The momentum that started to build in the second half of 2010 should continue next year as corporations and consumers alike loosen the purse strings.
Based on the information KPMG has received from U.S technology executives, Gary Matuszak, KPMG global chair for the information, communication and entertainment practice, is optimistic. In KPMG’s most recent survey of tech executives, the firm found that business leaders expect significant improvement in 2010 over last year in revenue and employment, and they are more optimistic about next year.
“Almost nine out of 10 executives said they expect business conditions in the technology sector to improve in 2011, including stronger revenue,” Matuszak said. “When participants were asked to name the biggest drivers of revenue growth over the next three years in the technology sector, 54 percent named cloud computing, 51 percent said mobile applications, 43 percent identified client computing/virtualization, and 42 percent said advanced analytics. About half the respondents believe the growth rate for both cloud computing and mobile applications could exceed 10 percent over the next two years.”
Semiconductors Tell the Story
KPMG also recently completed a global survey of the semiconductor industry. Executives from that industry also expect solid increases in sales and workforce growth in 2011. According to the KPMG survey, conducted in collaboration with the Semiconductor Industry Association, 78 percent of semiconductor executives expect revenue to grow by more than five percent next year.
“In looking at jobs, 29 percent of the respondents predict workforce growth of greater than five percent, compared to 23 percent in 2009,” Matuszak said. “Our findings show that the semiconductor industry expects moderate growth…