Net mgmt, security spending safe from IT budget cuts, survey shows

NEW YORK -- IT spending on network performance management and security technologies could weather the current U.S. economic storm, according to recent survey results that show a majority of respondents plan to increase budgets for the two IT disciplines in 2009.

While industry watchers such as Goldman Sachs  and Forrester Research adjust their spending estimates down for the coming months, a poll of 100 attendees this week at the Interop New York 2008 conference showed certain technology areas will be spared from cuts.

Network performance management vendor NetQoS conducted the survey, which found that 85% either plan for increased or flat spending on network management technologies in 2009. About half of those polled indicated spending on network performance management and security would increase, while 15% anticipate a decrease in spending on network management disciplines. More than half (54%) said overall IT infrastructure and management software budgets will remain the same next year.

Interop attendees also said they plan to spend more on virtualization and wireless LAN/WAN in 2009. Spending on WAN optimization, unified communications, change management and managed services is expected to remain the same for a majority of those polled.