Microsoft commissioned a major study of global IT from US research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) which was carried out in 52 countries, including Croatia.
The IDC study investigates the contribution of IT to gross domestic product (GDP), job creation in the IT industry, employment in the software sector, formation of new companies, local IT spending and tax revenues in 52 countries, representing 98 percent of total worldwide IT spending.
According to the IDC study, IT spending in Croatia will reach HRK 6.4 billion in 2009 and grow 4.8 per cent a year by 2013. By the end of 2013, the IT market will drive the creation of 6,000 new jobs and 200 new businesses in Croatia, says IDC. Most of the new companies will be small and locally owned organizations.
Worldwide, the IT industry will create 5.8 million new jobs and more than 75,000 new businesses over the next four years, IDC says.
The expected growth rate for IT employment of 3 percent a year is more than three times the rate of growth of total employment and a strong indicator that investing in IT will contribute to economic recovery and growth.
“In this fundamental economic reset, innovative technologies will play a vital role in driving productivity gains and enabling the creation of new local businesses and highly skilled jobs that fuel economic recovery and support sustainable economic growth,” said Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft. “Countries that foster innovation and invest in infrastructure, education and skills development for their citizens will have a major competitive advantage in the global marketplace.”
The study also found that Microsoft and its ecosystem of local partners, vendors and service providers are a major catalyst of local economic growth and opportunity, during both the current economic difficulties and recovery.
In Croatia, companies inside the ecosystem employ 6,000 experts, while another 6,000 people are working in organizations that have IT departments that meet the Microsoft’s conditions. These 12,000 workers account for 46 per cent of the total personnel in Croatia’s IT sector.
Photo: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer keynotes at the CBI annual lecture, unveiling the results of the 2009 IDC Global Economic Impact Study (London, 5 October 2009).