The poll consulted the chief information officers of 225 different firms and found that disaster recovery services, network security and back-up software were areas most likely to see increased spending in the second half of the year.
The survey also established that Microsoft is most likely to reap the benefits of any increases in spending. CIO’s stated that they would be most likely to increase spending in relation to Windows 2000 for the desktop, Microsoft Office for business applications and Windows 2000 for servers.
The publication of the results coincides with Microsoft’s announcement of a new security initiative. The new protection programme encompasses two phases “Get Secure” and “Stay Secure” and aims to soothe fears over possible security breaches in Microsoft software. The initiative targets concerns related to Microsoft’s Internet Information Server (IIS) which were raised after the recent Code Red and Nimda worms.
The initiative will include virus related product support, an online security tool kit and a new version of IIS which can be tailored to meet customer’s individual needs.
The move has been greeted as a small but positive step in restoring faith in internet security. Harris Miller, president of the Information Technology Association of America stated,
“User education, understanding best security practices, improvements in software development, rigorous enforcement of federal laws and prosecution of offenders are key elements in a co-ordinated and comprehensive strategy to protect our computer systems and networks. It is gratifying to see Microsoft step up and offer serious outreach programs to address this national and global challenge.”