CV_Spring_2021

W ith half-a-dozen channel changes – or more – in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) since the beginning of the year, it almost demands a closer examination to determine what the heck is happening in the region. A first place to look is a Gartner report from late last year, which shows IT spending in EMEA is expected to grow 2.8 percent in 2021, reaching $1.08 trillion. After a year of expected slowing in IT spending across the board, Gartner expects spending in 2021 to increase and shift as organizations start reconfiguring their business and operating models for the new reality. “The combined effects of Brexit and the COVID-19 public health interventions will cause IT spending in EMEA to decline in 2020,” predicted John-David Lovelock, distinguished research vice president at Gartner, speaking at the research firm’s IT symposium in March. “Before the pandem- ic, most organizations moved their digital strate- gies forward at a steady pace. The way forward in 2021 is for organizations to increase, rather than decrease, the speed of their digital business initia- tives and fund those initiatives by diverting funds from other areas of IT.” By Bruce Christian 20 CHANNEL V ISION | May 2021 Channel Changes Bring EMEA Possibilities into Focus INTERNATIONAL AGENTS