Laura Rohde

Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. has forecast that IT budgets will see an increase of three per cent in 2002, with an even greater increase of 8 per cent to 9 per cent in 2003.

Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. has forecast that IT budgets will see an increase of three per cent in 2002, with an even greater increase of eight per cent to nine per cent in 2003.

In the second high-profile executive exit in as many days, Edgar Bronfman Jr. has resigned from his post as executive vice chairman at Vivendi Universal SA, the company announced Thursday.

Those who think that IT support services are a cash cow for companies had better think again. Only 28 per cent of installed desktop PCs, or about one in three, generate any revenue for external support providers, according to a study published this week by Gartner Inc.

Those who think that IT support services are a cash cow for companies had better think again. Only 28 per cent of installed desktop PCs, or about one in three, generate any revenue for external support providers, according to a study published last week by Gartner Inc.

Like the proverbial elephant in the living room, the downturn in the telecommunications market was undeniable for global telecom officials speaking at an industry conference in London earlier this week.

A worldwide decline in the growth rate of PC sales will cause one of the worst global declines in the history of the semiconductor market in 2001, though the cyclical nature of the semiconductor market will begin to bring recovery in 2002, with the market posting an annual revenue growth rate of 31 per cent by 2003, a market study from Gartner Inc. predicted on Tuesday.

The European Union's lack of technological innovation and urgency in bringing cutting-edge technologies to market is causing the European Union to lag behind the United States in competitiveness and living standards, the European Commission (EC) said in its annual report on competitiveness, enterprise policy and innovation.