Market research firm Forrester Research has released an annual report detailing the state of information technology (IT) spending and projects for the growth of this field in the near-term. The study states that $2.06 trillion will be spent globally on IT infrastructure in 2013, including hardware, software and services this year, a 2.3 percent increase over 2012.

One of the notable conclusions of Forrester's research is that the biggest area where this money will be spent is on software, especially in the mobile realm for devices such as the iPad 4 and iPad mini. The report projected that $542 million would be budgeted for apps.

The projections were somewhat more modest than numbers put out recently by Gardner Research, another marketing research firm, which had predicted IT spending to hit $3.7 trillion in 2013. Forrester stated that the lower estimates were the result of recessionary conditions in Europe.

"...The tech market in Western and Central Europe will post negative growth and those in Japan, Canada, Australia, and India will grow at a moderate pace," said Forrester analyst Andrew Bartels on the company's website. "We continue to expect somewhat better growth in tech demand in 2014, as US economic growth strengths, Europe at last starts to recover, and China, India, and Japan work past through some of their economic challenges."

In addition to the news about software, the Forrester report states that tablet sales will rise 36 percent to $21 billion, an indication that more businesspeople are discovering how these devices can improve productivity and workflow. To find out why everyone is switching to the Apple tablet technology, visit the PortableOne online store today.