According to Gartner, impacted by a rising US dollar, global information technology (IT) spending is on pace to reach $3.5 trillion in 2015, registering a 5.5 per cent decline in comparison to 2014. In constant-currency terms, the market is projected to witness a growth of 2.5 per cent.

The reaesrch firm states that communications services will continue to be the largest IT spending segment in 2015 with spending pegged at nearly $1.5 trillion. However, this segment is also experiencing the strongest decline in IT spending. Price erosion and competitiveness are preventing revenue growth in proportion to increasing use in most leading markets.

In the device market, mobile phones continue to be the leading segment, with growth in Apple phones, especially in China, keeping overall phone spending consistent. However, Gartner expects the overall smartphone unit growth to flatten and the PC and tablet markets to continue witnessing low growth.