Growth will be driven primarily by software (4.6%), while IT services investments will grow more slowly (1.6%). Hardware spending is expected to decline by 2017 (-1.0%).
The Western European healthcare market continues to show moderate growth in IT spending. "Financial constraints in the market remain a significant obstacle to sustainable growth, but health authorities and decision-makers are turning to digital transformation to reform healthcare systems, aiming to strike a balance between ensuring access to and quality of healthcare services and guaranteeing long-term financial sustainability. Comprehensive care initiatives and hospital modernization are two areas where digital transformation is expected to have a major impact," said Silvia Piai, research manager for the EMEA region at IDC Health Insights.
The report shows that the top five Western European economies are expected to account for 73% of total healthcare IT spending in 2013. The UK remains the largest IT market, but continued investment levels are viewed with caution, as growth prospects remain below 1% over the next five years. Germany continues to be the fastest-growing market among the top five countries, with a 3% CAGR for the period 2013-2018. France continues to grow at 2.2%, driven by government initiatives. Spain and Italy continue to decline.
The report, "IDC Health Insights Western European Healthcare Providers IT Spending Forecast 2014-2018, January 2015," includes an IDC pivot table that provides an overview of IT spending trends and forecasts for the Western European healthcare professional sector for 2014-2018 (base year 2013). It also includes a comparison with previous forecast data and details of specific IT spending patterns by technology (hardware, software, and IT services), subsector (private and public), and country (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, and the rest of Western Europe).
Equinix selects Infinera Cloud Xpress for data center interconnection in Hong Kong
Infinera announces that Equinix has selected Infinera Cloud Xpress to interconnect its data centers in Hong Kong. Infinera Cloud Xpress offers Equinix a platform with hyperscale density, operational simplicity, and low power consumption.
