2010 Tech Forecast: Cost Management Trumps Customer Satisfaction.

VERNON HILLS, Ill. -- Cautious IT professionals are more optimistic about 2010, but the top focus of their organizations is not improving customer satisfaction--it is managing operational costs. One half (50 percent) of IT decision makers say managing costs is their organization's top 2010 business priority, coming in ahead of improving customer satisfaction (42 percent) and leaving increasing market share in third place (37 percent).

According to the third annual Year-In-Review survey from CDW Corporation, 65 percent of IT decision makers expect their organization to perform somewhat better in achieving their missions and goals in 2010. This is down seven percentage points from 2009 confidence levels, illustrating a reluctance to be overly optimistic after the financial crisis of this past year.

"With a financial recovery beginning to take shape, organizations are focusing on how to best position themselves for strong and steady success in the new year," said Mark Gambill, the company's executive responsible for market insights. "Refocusing business priorities to improve customer satisfaction will be paramount to creating long-term success as the economy improves. Every IT investment and business activity will need to center on the benefit it provides to the customer, which will in turn allow them to focus on what matters most--growing their businesses."

As part of anticipated 2010 IT investments, one in five (21 percent) organizations overall expect to implement discretionary IT projects, signaling that technology projects previously put on hold may be getting the green light in 2010. The new year could also could bring a greater alignment between business and IT priorities. Forty-nine percent of IT decision makers see reducing operating costs and helping to increase organizational productivity as among the top three ways in which IT can help their organization during the economic recovery.

"With an increased focus on ROI, organizations will need to carefully evaluate planned IT investments in 2010. While there are many new products designed to help improve business issues, IT decision makers must step back and understand how implementation will affect overall business goals," added Gambill.

For more information about attitudes of IT decision makers on 2009 and 2010, please visit www.cdwitmonitor.com.

Other key findings from CDW's Year-In-Review survey:

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About the CDW Year-In-Review survey

The CDW Year-In-Review survey was created by CDW Corporation, and research and analysis is conducted by independent polling firm Richard Day Research of Evanston, Ill. Decision makers are invited from two large national panels of IT decision makers built and maintained by E-Rewards and Survey Sampling International. Data reported in this release are based on a survey of 1,043 IT decision makers conducted between Sept. 15 and Sept. 23, 2009.

CDW Corporation also publishes the CDW IT Monitor, a bimonthly indicator of the direction, momentum and mindset of the U.S. IT marketplace. The CDW IT Monitor is based on a national online survey of at least 1,000 IT decision makers from business (small, medium and large) and government (state, federal and local) sectors. The next CDW IT Monitor will be released in December 2009.

About CDW

CDW is a leading provider of technology solutions for business, government and education. Ranked No. 41 on Forbes' list of America's Largest Private Companies, CDW features dedicated account managers who help customers choose the right technology products and services to meet their needs. The company's technology specialists offer expertise in designing customized solutions, while its advanced technology engineers can assist customers with the implementation and long-term management of those solutions. Areas of focus include notebooks, desktops, printers, servers and storage, unified communications, security, wireless, power and cooling, networking, software licensing and mobility solutions.

CDW was founded in 1984 and as of September 30, 2009 employed approximately 6,250 coworkers. In 2008, the company generated sales of $8.1 billion. For more information, visit CDW.com.