back to article Guess how much IT spending slumped last year? $216 billion

Some $216bn less was splashed on tech goods and services last year versus 2014 – the equivalent to ten per cent of UK GDP, or, if you prefer, almost three times the size of the output of Oman. This is the preliminary findings from Gartner mages, who told us the drop in spending to $3.52 trillion was the sharpest decline since …

  1. Tony S

    Or in other words...

    The total spend on IT products and services was $3.5 trillion; which if it were a single country, would make IT the fifth largest country economy in the world.

  2. Only me!

    Wales

    The standard country comparison is Wales! Where did Oman come from did I miss a public vote on the change?

    1. Dan 55 Silver badge
      Unhappy

      Re: Wales

      I was expecting number of Olympic swimming pools filled with pound coins.

  3. Otto is a bear.

    Hang on

    If most IT development happens outside the USA, and especially manufacturing, then surely costs will drop, as you get more bang for your buck.

    Oh wait, the IP costs.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I'll make a prediction, as Gartner is too timid to

    Business IT spending will do well in 2016, as "cloud" and "private cloud" continues to be the moment's hype terms (oh, look, the leased client-server model has made a comeback, only with a different spin! What a surprise!)

    Consumer IT spending, on the other hand, will continue to fall flat on its face. Tablet sales are falling and will continue to fall, due to lack of perceived upgrade necessarily from currently satisfied owners; high-end phones sales will continue to suffer a hit from the very same reasons, and, most importantly, Windows 10 will continue to have doubt in user's minds due to unproven alterations plus the backlash of the seemingly-forced upgrade procedure, thereby causing consumer computer upgrade spending to collapse.

    And now, we sit back and watch the fireworks.

  5. julianh72

    Surely the headline should be ...

    ... Guess how much IT spending slumped last year? 216 BEEELION dollars

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Serif font?

    Is it just my browser, or is everyone else seeing the Channel and the comments thereto in a serif'd font? Doesn't half look poor compared to the normal sans-serif, anyway.

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