IDC Financial Insights Projects Worldwide Financial Services IT Spending to Top $430 billion in 2014

Framingham, MA - IDC Financial Insights today announced an updated set of Worldwide IT Spending Guides to provide an analysis on the current status and projected growth of IT spending in the banking, capital market and insurance industries. These reports, published bi-annually, offer an outlook on IT spending over the next five years. According to the new guide, IDC Financial Insights projects that Worldwide Financial Services IT spend will top $430 billion in 2014.

Additional highlights include:

* Banks will consume half that total IT spend with WW IT spend projected to be $215 billion.
* Asia/Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa will see growth exceeding 7% while Europe and North America remain well below 5%.
* Capital Markets firms will invest $110 billion in IT in 2014, with North America capturing almost half of that spend.
* Insurance companies will spend $100 billion on IT worldwide in 2014

“The Worldwide Banking IT Spending Guide,” (Document #FI24383) provides a five-year outlook on IT spending by banks, specialized banking institutions, and credit unions and offers IT vendors key information needed to develop effective market strategies and measure growth areas. According to Karen Massey, Senior Analyst, Banking, IDC Financial Insights, “Bankers continue to be selective with IT initiatives, focusing on those that can deliver value to their clients and the organization, while also satisfying the mandate of reducing costs and improving efficiency. Expect to see projects around risk and compliance, core and infrastructure modernization, customer experience, and security, which are lifting our otherwise tempered forecasts"

“The Worldwide Insurance IT Spending Guide,” (Document #FI243751) provides a five year outlook on IT spending by individual lines life and annuity insurers, personal lines property/casualty insurers, commercial lines property/casualty insurers, and reinsurance and provides IT vendors and international insurers with key information needed to develop effective go-to-market strategies and measure growth areas. According to Li-May Chew, Associate Research Director, IDC Financial Insights, "As the global economies continue to mend gradually and insurance markets harden, we expect insurers to continue prudently setting aside dollars for technology spending. With the necessity for insurers to reinvent and simplify business processes to dramatically reduce cost; their policyholders demanding customized offerings, self-serve capabilities and availability of omni-channel touchpoints; and distributors wanting agency support, reliance on technology can only intensify. We project global IT investments rising to US$100 billion in 2014, with a 4.0% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the forecast period through 2017.”

“The Worldwide Capital Markets IT Spending Guide,” (Document #FI243753) provides a five-year outlook on IT spending by brokerage firms, investment houses, commercial banks, insurance companies, and exchanges and depositories presents IT vendors with key information needed to develop effective market strategies and measure growth areas. According to Matt Sauer, Research Manager, Global Securities and Investment Strategies, “As is the case across the financial services industry as a whole, risk and compliance efforts are still dictating which IT projects will be getting the green light at capital markets firms in 2014. As the global regulatory environment is still a hotbed of activity, the industry will see substantial investment in areas such as trader surveillance and operational risk projects as well as initiatives to increase automation in a bid to prevent human error and misconduct.”

IDC Financial Insights provides this benchmark tool with consistent, detailed market data on the corresponding industry, providing a profile of the IT growth opportunity segmented by technology components, solution categories, and institution types and sizes. These pivot table tools present spending forecasts according to current assumptions related to economic trends, end-user surveys, and IDC Financial Insights’ comprehensive segmented research expertise. In addition, the Spending Guides provides targeted data for sales organizations with specific spending predictions and analysis correlated by institution size and type.

To learn more about IDC Financial Insights’ Worldwide IT Spending Guides for Financial Services, please visit us HERE: http://www.idc-fi.com/services/sguide_wwfinservit.jsp

To arrange a one-on-one briefing with Karen Massey, Li-May Chew, or Matt Sauer, please contact Sarah Murray at 781-378-2674 or sarah@attunecommunications.com. Reports are available to qualified members of the media. For information on purchasing reports, contact insights@idc.com; reporters should email sarah@attunecommunications.com.

About IDC Financial Insights

IDC Financial Insights assists financial service businesses and IT leaders, as well as the suppliers who serve them, in making more effective technology decisions by providing accurate, timely, and insightful fact-based research and consulting services. Staffed by senior analysts with decades of industry experience, our global research analyzes and advises on business and technology issues facing the banking, insurance, and securities and investments industries. International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology market. IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world’s leading technology, media, research, and events company. For more information, please visit www.idc-fi.com, email info@idc-fi.com, or call 508-620-5533. Visit the IDC Financial Insights Community at http://idc-insights-community.com/financial.