This is a ChannelVision Magazine Publication.

A t this point, local economies are slowly starting to reopen, and people are begin- ning to venture back out into the world, which is an encouraging sign. At the same time, there is still no sign of a vac- cine, and experts are cautioning about a second pos- sible peak, meaning we are not out of the water yet. There are still many more questions than answers, and financial markets remain on edge. One thing is certain: the pandemic is impacting global IT spend. According to Gartner, global IT spend will total $3.4 trillion in 2020, a decline of 8 percent year over year. Gartner estimates that the hardest hit indus- tries, inlcuding air transport, entertainment and heavy industry, could take more than three years to reach 2019 IT spending levels. Gartner predicts data center systems and devices will see the largest drops in spending this year. How- ever, some sub-segments still will see growth. For ex- ample, cloud computing is currently on pace to grow 19 percent in 2020, while cloud-based telephony and messaging, and cloud-based conferencing, are on track to see gains of 8.9 percent and 24.3 percent, respectively. These gains can be directly attributed to the large increase in remote work. Playing the Waiting Game By Gerald Baldino Five months into COVID-19, executives are still assessing financial fallout from the pandemic. However, a clearer picture is starting to emerge for the channel. BUYERS SIDE 20 CHANNEL VISION | May - June, 2020