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E-Business

Why Gartner Believes Worldwide IT Spending to Shrink to $3.66Tri in 2015

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Worldwide IT spending is set to shrink to $3.66 trillion in 2015, a 1.3 percent decrease from 2014, according to the latest forecast by Gartner, Inc.

Gartner said that the rising dollar is chiefly responsible for the slowdown.

“We forecast U.S.-dollar-valued worldwide IT spending in 2015 to shrink by 1.3 percent, down from 2.4 percent growth forecast in last quarter’s update,” said John-David Lovelock, research vice president at Gartner.

“However, this is not a crash, even if it looks like one. The recent rapid rise in the value of the U.S. dollar against most currencies has put a currency shock into the global IT market. Taking out the impact of exchange rate movements, the corresponding constant-currency growth figure is 3.1 percent, only off 0.6 percent from last quarter’s update. Such are the illusions that large swings in the value of the dollar versus other currencies can create.”

“However, this illusion masks a bigger issue that has real implications. Every product or service that has a U.S. dollar-based component must have those costs covered at the lower exchange rate. The simple implication is that there will be price rises.

However, there are many other market forces at work — protecting U.S. dollar profits will require a nuanced and multifaceted approach involving pricing, partners and product management,” said Mr. Lovelock.

The Gartner Worldwide IT Spending Forecast is the leading indicator of major technology trends across the hardware, software, IT services and telecom markets.

For more than a decade, global IT and business executives have been using these highly anticipated quarterly reports to recognize market opportunities and challenges, and base their critical business decisions on proven methodologies rather than guesswork.

The U.S. dollar spending on devices (including PCs, ultramobiles, mobile phones, tablets and printers) for 2015 is forecast to decline 1.2 percent to $685 billion.

Spending for all devices in 2015 was revised down partly due to a slowdown in PC purchases in Western Europe, Russia and Japan, countries where local currency has devalued against the dollar.

The mobile phone market is not as affected by the currency shifts. Substantial change in the phone mix in emerging markets toward lower-priced smartphones negates price increases of premium phones, resulting in flat phone average selling prices between 2014 and 2015.

Data center system spending is projected to reach $142 billion in 2015, an increase of just 0.4 percent from 2014.

External controller-based storage, enterprise network equipment and servers have all been impacted by the depreciation of some local currencies against the U.S. dollar, but the server segment has seen the biggest impact due to the greater pricing pressure that server vendors are exposed to, due to their relatively lower margins.

Spending in the enterprise software market is on pace to total $320 billion in 2015, a 2.3 percent increase from 2014. Nevertheless, this is a downward revision from the last forecast and is the result of a substantial reduction in the forecast for office suite spending, reflecting the acceleration of Office 365 adoption.

Office 365 is disrupting traditional revenue flows. Its cost is prorated over the life of the subscription, resulting in significantly lower revenue growth as users transition away from the on-premises model.

IT services spending will contract slightly to $942 billion in 2015, down from $948 billion in 2014. The largest reductions were made in implementation services, particularly in the U.S. Although the oil and gas industry is only 1 percent of the IT services market, oil and gas buyers historically react quickly when their prices drop, often cutting back on spending 20 percent or more.

Because the U.S. is a large oil producer and a large market for IT services, the largest spending reductions on services is expected to take place in the U.S. through 2015 and 2016, with an early impact on implementation services.

Growth in spending on telecom services is predicted to shrink by 2.6 percent in 2015, to total $1.57 trillion.

Among the more prominent changes affecting multiple regions were reductions in total connections for developed markets such as the U.S. and several Western European nations, as growth in data-only connected devices and multi-SIM connections were not as high as previously expected.

Gartner’s IT spending forecast methodology relies heavily on rigorous analysis of sales by thousands of vendors across the entire range of IT products and services.

The Company uses primary research techniques, complemented by secondary research sources, to build a comprehensive database of market size data upon which to base its forecast.

The Gartner quarterly IT spending forecast delivers a unique perspective on IT spending across hardware, software, IT services and telecommunications segments.

These reports help Gartner clients understand market opportunities and challenges.

 


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E-Business

INEC Sets Up AI Division to Strengthen Electoral System

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Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Division within its ICT Department.

INEC Sets Up AI Division to Strengthen Electoral System

This marks a significant stride toward enhancing electoral integrity, efficiency, and innovation in Nigeria’s democratic process.

This decision was reached at the Commission’s regular weekly meeting held in Abuja, following a series of consultations and engagements on the global and continental impact of AI on elections.

In a statement issued by Sam Olumekun, national commissioner and chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC underscored that the growing relevance of AI in electoral matters necessitated a proactive institutional framework to manage both the risks and opportunities it presents.

“Our interactions with electoral bodies across Africa highlighted both the risks of AI—such as fake news and content manipulation—and the vast potential it holds for data-driven decision-making, risk mitigation, automated voter services, and geo-spatial intelligence for logistics,” Olumekun noted.

According to him, the newly created division will centralise the Commission’s AI efforts, ensuring a harmonized approach to deploying intelligent systems that enhance decision-making, improve voter engagement, and boost the credibility of the electoral process.

“The creation of this division puts the Commission at the forefront of institutionalizing AI capabilities in electoral management.

It is also part of our ongoing reforms in areas where administrative action is sufficient to drive change,” he said.

He added that the AI Division will help INEC better coordinate its existing technological investments while providing safeguards against the misuse of AI technologies.

“We are positioning ourselves to maximise the positive impact of AI while mitigating its negative implications. This step strengthens the credibility and transparency of elections in Nigeria,” Olumekun concluded.

The initiative, INEC emphasised, reflects its commitment to embracing innovation in safeguarding democracy and improving electoral services nationwide.

 

 

 

 


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CAC, NIBSS Unveil Platform for Data Access to Private Firms

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Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in partnership with the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) has unveiled a new Application Programming Interface (API) integration system to allow private firms access company data from the Commission’s database.

CAC, NIBSS Unveil Platform for Data Access to Private Firms

Hussaini Ishaq Magaji (SAN), registrar general of CAC, who spoke  in Abuja at the unveiling said the system would give selected private organizations access to CAC services through technology-based companies, called “super agents.”

“This is a practical step to show that the Commission is committed to meeting the expectations of our customers,” he said.

Magaji explained that the integration allows the agents to retrieve data from the CAC database for use in specific client requests, outside the standard services provided by the Commission.

“Before now, only a few government agencies had this integration, especially those involved in investigations, anti-money laundering, and terrorism financing. Now, private companies that meet the criteria can also access it,” he said.

He said the system complies with the Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023, and information such as residential addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth may be restricted.

“This is a call to law firms and companies with the right technology. We’ve started with NIPS because of their credibility. Embassies and banks can now authenticate company records directly through them.”

“There are prescribed fees. We already collect them on our portal, and now customers can also pay through these agents,” he explained.

He named NIPS, MoneyPoint, and OPE as some of the companies involved.

“OPE and MoneyPoint handle only registrations. But NIPS has moved further into validation and verification,” he said.

Ngover Ihyembe-Nwankwo, executive director at NIBSS, who represented Premier Oiwoh, managing director, said the service allows secure and efficient data verification.

“This is the result of years of effort to connect our systems with CAC. It will help users verify data within the limits of data protection laws,” she said.

She said the move is a way to lower costs and promote interoperability across the financial sector.

 

 


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FG Launches Online Citizenship, Business Management Platform

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Ministry of Interior has announced the launch of a new Online Citizenship and Business Management Platform in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

FG Launches Online Citizenship, Business Management Platform

A statement signed by Dr Magdalene Ajani, permanent secretary, Ministry of Interior’s said the initiative forms a key part of its ongoing reforms aimed at promoting transparency, enhancing operational efficiency, and significantly improving service delivery to the public.

The new digital platform is designed to streamline the application and processing of citizenship and business-related services, ensuring faster turnaround times and improved user experience.

The platform allows users to apply for and manage business permits, ensuring that both local and foreign businesses operate legally in Nigeria.

It includes an Expatriate Quota System to manage work permits for foreign employees, helping companies hire skilled workers while complying with Nigeria’s immigration laws.

The Citizenship Administration and Management System provides a streamlined online process for applying, tracking, and managing Nigerian citizenship applications and related services.

Members of the public, corporate entities, and other stakeholders are expected to access the platform through the ministry’s website: https://interior.gov.ng , Direct Portal Access: https://candb.interior.gov.ng , or contact candb-support@interior.gov.ng for support and inquiries.

“The Ministry of Interior remains committed to establishing a more efficient, transparent, and secure framework for citizenship administration, while continuously enhancing service delivery through digital transformation,” the statement read in part.

 

 

 

 

 

 


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