IT Business Confidence Index Falls Slightly in Q3, But Optimism Prevails

By Christine Kern, contributing writer

The CompTIA IT Industry Business Confidence Index declined slightly in Q3, but still remains firmly in positive territory for 2014.

After three consecutive quarters of gains, the CompTIA IT Industry Business Confidence Index took a breather, falling 1.2 points. The 3-variable index stands at 60.1 on a 100-point scale; still solidly in positive territory. The forward-looking component of the index is projected to increase 2.0 points, signaling a modest degree of optimism over the second half of the year.

CompTIA’s IT Industry Business Confidence Index surveys IT executives regarding their opinions of the U.S. economy, the IT industry and their own companies. Data for the Q3 Index was collected through an online survey of executives at 293 IT companies in the U.S. conducted during July 2014. It is produced by CompTIA, the IT Industry Association.

Although industry executives express concern over a number of factors that could derail progress, their chief concern is price sensitive customers who may be reluctant to spend, an obstacle cited by 44 percent of executives surveyed.

“Closely related is concern over downward pressure on margins,” said Tim Herbert, vice president, research and market intelligence, CompTIA. “With an ever-expanding array of technology solutions available at a range of price points, cost-conscious customers have more options than ever to optimize their IT spending.”

CompTIA’s IT Industry Business Confidence Index is based on a July 2014 online survey of 293 IT industry companies. The full report is available at http://www.comptia.org/resources/it-industry-business-confidence-index-q3-2014.