Network World — Many IT leaders intend to make high-tech purchases and technology projects a priority in the coming months as plans that had been put on hold during the downturn are prepped for takeoff in 2010.

Gartner: CIOs don't expect IT recovery

A recent survey of 1,400 CIOs conducted by Robert Half Technology showed that 37% intend to implement software and hardware upgrades that had been deferred due to poor economic conditions in 2009. Another 16% plan to roll out virtualization projects that were previously shelved, and the same percentage of IT leaders polled said Web site design initiatives would get the go ahead following an economic recovery.

The Top 100 IT Projects of 2009

Other projects planned for the coming months include Internet collaboration/technology tools for 12% of survey respondents. Eleven percent of those polled said cloud computing initiatives would become a priority and nearly 10% said their companies would be focusing on deploying company-branded social media sites. The plans reflect CIOs needing to rebuild to better compete and take advantage of an economic recovery, according to Dave Willmer, executive director of Robert Half Technology.

"Software and hardware upgrades are necessary to support the evolving technology needs of organizations," Willmer said in a statement. "Businesses recognize that delaying system upgrades and other investments for too long could prevent them from taking advantage of emerging technologies that provide a competitive advantage."

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