IT spending to top $2.1tn in 2014 as cloud and big data soar

IDC unveils its predictions for next year, with cloud, mobile and big data set to drive industry growth

Third-platform technology – cloud, mobile, big data and social networking – is set to drive the IT industry next year, according to IDC, which said the tech will account for nearly all tech spending growth in 2014.

According to the analyst's Worldwide Predictions 2014 research, global spending on IT will reach $2.1tn (£1.28tn) next year, up five per cent annually. Of that growth, 89 per cent will be accounted for by third-platform tech alone.

Since IDC coined the phrase "third platform", a number of top tech firms such as VMware and EMC have placed their bets on the associated technology, which underpins nearly all IDC's predictions for the coming year.

"In 2014, we will see every major player make big investments to scale up cloud, mobile, and big data capabilities, and fiercely battle for the hearts and minds of the developers who will create the solutions driving the next two decades of IT spending," said Frank Gens, chief analyst at IDC.

"Outside the IT industry, third-platform technologies will play a leading role in the disruption of almost every other industry on the planet."

Spending on cloud computing alone will surge by 25 per cent annually next year, reaching $100bn, said IDC, while big data tech spending will grow 30 per cent annually, breaking the $14bn barrier.

"Demand for big data analytics skills continues to outstrip supply [and we] expect to see a dramatic increase in the number of datacentres as cloud players race to achieve global scale," said IDC.

"Social technologies will become increasingly integrated into existing enterprise applications over the next 12 to 18 months. [We] expect enterprise social networks will become increasingly available as standard offerings from cloud services providers."

Aside from the onslaught of cloud, big data and mobile technologies, IDC forecasts strong IT spending growth in emerging markets which will contribute nearly $740bn – 35 per cent – to worldwide IT spending.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, IDC added that smartphones and tablets will continue to be snapped up at a brisk pace, while the PC market will remain under stress.