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U.S. IT Industry Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow: Trends and Policy Priorities to Watch

U.S. IT Industry Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow: Trends and Policy Priorities to Watch. Anders Halvorsen, Senior Program Manager, ITAA October 22, 2003. Today’s Points. The Current Spending Environment Overall IT Picture Commercial Sector IT Public Sector IT Public Policy Trends to Watch

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U.S. IT Industry Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow: Trends and Policy Priorities to Watch

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  1. U.S. IT Industry Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow: Trends and Policy Priorities to Watch Anders Halvorsen, Senior Program Manager, ITAA October 22, 2003

  2. Today’s Points • The Current Spending Environment • Overall IT Picture • Commercial Sector IT • Public Sector IT • Public Policy Trends to Watch • Business Immigration • Offshore Outsourcing and Global Competition • State and Federal Protectionism • Political Climate • Summary

  3. About ITAA • Established in 1961 • Over 400 Corporate Members • Plus global affiliate, WITSA • Offices in Arlington, VA and Silicon Valley • Leader in Public Policy Advocacy • IT Workforce and Education Specialty

  4. Overview of U.S. ICT Industry • U.S. A World Leader in ICT Spending • Powerful Source of American Employment • ICT Creates 1/3 of U.S. Economic Growth

  5. Current Economic Environment • Department of Commerce reports: • Real GDP increased 3.3% in 2Q 2003 • Previous quarter was 1.4% • Strong increases expected to continue due to defense spending through 2003 • Equipment and software expenditures up 8.2% in Q2 2003—largest such increase since 2000 • Wells Fargo chief economic officer predicts economic growth at close to 5% annual rate in 2H ‘03 (Source: Washington Post)

  6. Current Economic Environment • Job creation may be underway • Job creation always a recovery “lagging indicator” • Challenger Gray and Christmas finds pace of layoffs slowing – down 6% in August over July • August 2003 was fourth straight month of fewer than 100,000 cuts planned – not seen since 2000 • Consumer spending and confidence up • Spending rose 3.8% in 2Q – over 2% in 1Q

  7. Commercial Sector IT Spending Improving • CIOs plan to increase tech spending 6.4% over next twelve months, up from 4.5% in July • Highest projected increase since May 2002 • 9 in 10 CIOs report application backlog • 30.5% of CIOs say they plan to increase spending on IT Services – up from 27.7% in July • Only 21.2% of CIOs plan decrease in IT Services spending over 12 months, lowest in 2003 • Source: CIO Magazine Tech Poll, 9-2-03

  8. Commercial Sector IT Spending Improving • IT demand will grow in 2H ‘03 • 2003 estimates for IT growth are 5-7% • IT investments up 2.8% Q/Q in 2Q ’03 • Software and services up .9% Q/Q in 2Q ’03 • IT investments outgrow other cap-ex in 5 of the last 6 quarters • Source: Precursor Group, 8-1-03

  9. Commercial Sector IT Spending Improving • 12-Month IT Services Demand Outlook Maintaining Moderate Up Tick • Transportation and Federal Sectors Lead in New Business Opportunities • Billing, Wage Rates and Operating Margins Flat for IT Services Firms • Big 4 Consulting Perceived as Competition by Twice as Many Respondents as Offshore Source: ITAA/Input/Legg Mason Monthly IT Services Pulse Survey

  10. Public Sector IT Spending Improving • Federal IT spending will have CAGR of 8.5% from 2003-2008 • Public Sector IT services to grow 11% a year through 2007 • Federal IT outsourcing will have CAGR of 18% from 2002-2007 • Source: INPUT

  11. Public Sector IT Spending Improving • FY 04 Federal spending decisions in Congress now • White House IT budget request was 14% higher than FY 03 • Spending bills have slowed and face uncertainty in Senate • DoD IT budgets are being cut in exchange for weapons • House cut $321M from DoD IT • Senate would cut DISA funding by $100M

  12. Public Policy Trends to Watch

  13. Public Policy Trends • Business Immigration Backlash • L-1 Visas under scrutiny • Isolated abuse cases spawn negative press • Hearings in Congress • ITAA issues guidance on “specialized knowledge” • H-1Bs face criticism in current job climate • H1-B Cap set to return to 65,000 on October 1 • No push to raise cap in current climate

  14. Public Policy Trends • Outlook for IT Customer • Productivity Rates Booming • Corporate Bottom-Line Cost Cutting Trumping Top-Line Revenue Generation • Pace of Technology Introductions Slowing • Global Sourcing Alternatives Growing • Global Business Opportunities Opening

  15. Public Policy Trends • See, Understand, and Appreciate Bigger Picture…Some Jobs are Going • Convergence of Demographic, Economic and Technological Trends • Evolution of Work and Logic of Outsourcing • Education of the American Public on Net Effect of Global Economy

  16. Public Policy Trends • Apply Logic, Not Emotion to Difficult Issue • Percentage of Work Going Offshore is Small • Small but Growing “Emerging World” IT Workforce vs. Vast, In Place “Developed World” IT Workforce • Market research predictions conflate “services” and IT jobs • Outsourcing takes place across a range of job categories, not just IT • Forrester 3.3 million count includes less than one million IT jobs

  17. Public Policy Trends • Apply Logic, Not Emotion to Difficult Issue (Continued) • Nine of Ten U.S. IT Workers Employed by Non-IT Companies • Statistics Show Most Firms Prefer to Keep Work In-House • Eight of Ten U.S. IT Workers Employed by Small Firms • Least likely Employment Cohort to Site Work Overseas

  18. Public Policy Trends IT Jobs Remain among the Most Highly Compensated 2001 Mean Annual Wages Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

  19. Public Policy Trends • Sophisticated IT Solutions are not Shoes or Textiles • Proximity and Domain Expertise Matter for Many Complex Projects • Full Economic Impact of Offshoring Still Emerging • Econometric Studies Needed • Overseas Competitors will also be hit by talent gap

  20. Public Policy Trends • Apply Logic, Not Emotion to Difficult Issue (cont.) • Benefits of Strategic Growth, Investment, New Business Development Unknown • Economic modeling required • Current “Jobless” Recovery will Relent • Downward Pressure on Salaries • Infusion of IT in New Domains • Integration of IT in Other Fields of Study • Investment Attracted Back to Emerging Growth Opportunities

  21. Public Policy Trends • Realize that Demographics of Looming Talent Shortage Remain Fixed • Baby Boomer Generation Retiring • Next Wave of US Knowledge Workers will be Smaller • Total Workforce Size will Plateau • Skilled Worker Gap to Reach 14 million by 2020 Source: Business 2.0

  22. Public Policy Trends • Rise of Protectionism • “Buy American” provisions added to Congressional spending bills • Outdated depression era idea applied to sophisticated IT doesn’t work • Country of origin requirements • 65% made in USA doesn’t fit the US IT business model • Creates “unicorn”

  23. Public Policy Trends • Rise of Protectionism • Anti-outsourcing bills in states • NJ, MD, CT, Michigan and others entertaining similar language • Preventing state government contractors from outsourcing • Could spurn backlash against our industry – China software policy

  24. Public Policy Trends • Political climate heating up • Election year on horizon (presidential, 1/3 senate, house, many governors and state houses) • Jobs are major issue • Jobless recovery thus far • Congressional hearings on loss of white-collar jobs • Unions and others engaged • Political pressure to save/create jobs – steel and manufacturing are examples

  25. Public Policy Trends • Political climate heating up • Bipartisan interest • Regulators increasingly interested in offshore (national security/privacy/economic security) • GAO and CIA charged with studying economic, workforce and national security concerns related to offshore • Potential statutory restrictions on offshore

  26. Conclusions • Economic Indicators are positive • Commercial IT spending predictions are cautiously optimistic • Federal IT spending continues to rise, but uncertainty prevails for FY 04 • Policy Trends will dictate some outcomes • Offshore Outsourcing is a fact of global competition • Protectionism harms industry and creates backlash in the long run • Politics is about jobs

  27. CONTACT Anders Halvorsen Senior Program Manager ITAA 703-284-5333 ahalvorsen@itaa.org www.itaa.org www.witsa.org

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