IDC forecasts that in 2019 worldwide SMB IT spending will approach $630 billion in 2019, which is $27 billion over 2018 levels. A shift in emphasis from traditional 2nd Platform hardware (PC, server, and network) to 3rd Platform (social, mobile, cloud, and big data) resources and software solutions will continue, something both small businesses (SBs; with fewer than 100 employees) and midsize firms (MBs; with 100–999 employees) should keep in mind as they plan for technology investments next year and beyond. Most small and midsize businesses will budget for continuing spending increases (4–5% on average), but IDC believes the rate of the increase for software and services should be greater than that for hardware. 

Decentralized technology acquisition, often led by line-of-business (LOB) departments, will continue to characterize the purchasing of smaller firms, but at the same time, IDC expects to see a growing share of SMBs leveraging technology investments in more comprehensive ways, with greater coordination among different constituencies in keeping with digital transformation. We strongly encourage firms to move in this direction, so that technology investment will have maximum long-term impact.

This IDC study provides the top 10 predictions and underlying drivers that we expect to impact SMBs in 2019 and beyond.