Research firm IDC said that total information technology spending will grow 5 percent in 2012 with emerging markets, smartphones, storage and software leading the way.
IDC's estimates are based on constant currency rates. In U.S. dollar terms, IT spending will be up 9 percent, but that's largely due to a weak greenback relative to other currencies.
Among the key growth estimates:
Overall, IDC said it was heartened by the IT spending trends given the wild cards in the global economy. For instance, Europe IT spending is expected to remain weak for the foreseeable future. On the other side of the spending equation, spending in BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) will see growth at double-digit rates.
For 2012, IT spending in Europe will be less than 1 percent. In 2013, Europe IT spending growth will only be 3 percent.
Fortunately, other regions appear to be picking up the slack. To wit: