While the global economic downturn has had a negative impact on a number of sectors, information technology is expected to weather the storm, according to recent research. This is because most organizations still see IT spending as a priority, especially in the areas of security and network management.

In a September 2008 survey of 1,200 enterprises and security decision-makers, Forrester Research Inc. found that 21 percent of those surveyed actually planned to increase their budgets for next year, while just six percent anticipated some budget cuts. What’s more, respondents said that the portion of their IT budgets dedicated to security was expected to grow from eight percent in 2008 to 10 percent next year.

Part of the reason for the security spending increases is that companies are becoming more focused on protecting corporate and customer data, and for ensuring business continuity in case of a disaster. Furthermore, in these challenging economic times, data protection and a safe e-commerce experience has become critical for customer retention.

Considering the havoc that the recession is having on other sectors, the resilience of IT spending is fairly remarkable. But when one considers how information technology has become so integrated in the day-to-day running of all kinds of businesses, it is really no surprise that an overall slowdown wouldn’t affect the sector as much as it would in other specialized markets. And in the case of security spending, most companies see it as a necessity that cannot be cut.

In fact, research group Gartner Inc. predicts that IT security spending will reach $24.6 billion by 2009. Furthermore, Gartner predicted that even in a worst-case scenario, IT spending will increase 2.3 percent next year, down from its original forecast of a 5.8 percent increase.

Developed regions, like the U.S and Europe, will be more affected by the slowdown, but emerging markets are expected to be flat, Gartner predicted. The researcher believes that in addition to being embedded in all aspects of business, the IT sector is more resilient because of a general shift to multi-year IT programs that can’t be cut immediately.

IT also has the ability to drive costs out of a business, analysts say, making it even more crucial during tough economic times. This is one of the reasons why network management spending is expected to thrive. Not only do network management tools ensure smooth running of the network—and, in turn, the business—but they also reduce the need for staff members to constantly monitor the network.

Security offers the same sort of return on investment, not only by preventing costly security breaches, but also by improving operational efficiencies. For instance, the McAfee® Return on Investment (ROI) Calculator, which was developed in conjunction with Forrester, estimated that a company with 5,500 systems could see an annual cost savings of more than $1.3 million just by using McAfee’s integrated management security solutions.

With its ability to drive down costs and assure customer confidence that data and systems are safe, IT security looks poised to survive the current economic crisis, and perhaps even thrive.

After all, a recent PricewaterhouseCoopers survey of 7,000 IT security professionals in 119 countries showed that 44 percent of respondents plan to increase their security spending next year. And as long as these professionals seek out security tools that can trim costs and improve operations, we think it’s a great investment.

See how much you can save by using an integrated security solution—try McAfee’s ROI calculator: http://www.mcafee.com/us/enterprise/products/tools/ad/roi/index.html