IDC: Higher Education 2015 IT Spending to Reach $6.6B

A new report by International Data Corp. states that investments in notebook computers and corporate networks are likely to spur U.S. higher education organizations to spend about $6.6 billion on information technology this year.

IDC said Monday the “Pivot Table: U.S. Education IT Spending Guide” forecasts K-12 schools to post $4.7 billion in IT spending this year driven by comprehensive computer upgrades.

The guide also predicts that spending on tablets and electronic readers is expected to increase by 8 percent to $522 million by yearend across all education segments and levels.

“IT growth among educational institutions has been spurred by a recovering economy, recovering tax bases and an increase in the number of government education grants,” said Shawn McCarthy, research director at IDC Government Insights.

“While the drop in PC spending was a bit surprising last year, we expect tablet computers to have a bright future in education, particularly for use in science classes and for one-off training via apps.”