This study presents analysis of major market segments in Western Europe alongside five-year forecasts for all market sectors and countries. Since 1990, IDC's Worldwide Black Book has represented the definitive, annual overview of IT industry trends and market opportunities. The document includes complete spending forecasts for more than 30 primary market segments in 16 country markets, drawn from IDC's comprehensive local research presence in Western Europe. Now updated quarterly, the Western European Black Book presents forecasts according to current assumptions relating to economic trends, end-user surveys, and supply-side data.

Warmerdam continues, "The truth of the matter for Western Europe is that although the short-term economic outlook does look rather good, the long-term outlook is still very insecure due to long overdue attempts to transform Western Europe into the "most competitive region in the world," as stated in the Lisbon Agenda in 2000. But the discussion on agricultural distribution of the EU funds is overshadowing the issues that really matter for Europe's future: investing in education and technology. Actions from the EU that handle these pressing matters will could have a strong positive impact on the IT industry but are not to be expected soon."

• In This Study
  • Methodology
    • Note About Exchange Rates
    • Table: Western European Currency Converter
  • Definitions
    • Hardware
      • Servers
        • Volume Server Market
        • High-End Enterprise Server Market
      • Personal Computers
        • Additional Products Counted as PCs Include the Following:
        • Exceptions to the PC Definition are as Follows:
      • Traditional Workstations
      • Disk Systems
      • Tape Automation
      • Smart Handheld Devices
      • Printers and MFPs
      • Network Equipment
      • Other Add-Ons
    • Packaged Software
      • Applications
      • Application Development and Deployment
      • System Infrastructure Software
    • Services
      • Planning
      • Implementation
      • Operations
      • Training and Education
  • Executive Summary
• Situation Overview
  • Global and Western European Economic Climate
    • Global
    • Western Europe
      • Political
      • Macroeconomic Policy
      • Economic Situation
      • Figure: Euro Area GDP Quarter on Quarter Growth by Expenditure 2Q03?3Q05 (% Real Change)
      • Figure: Eurozone Business Sectors and Consumer Confidence Indicators, 2004?2005
  • Western Europe IT Market Conditions
  • Figure: IT Spending Growth Forecast by Markets, 2004?2009 (% Change)
• Future Outlook
  • Forecast and Assumptions
  • Table: Main Assumption for the Western Europe IT Market, 4Q05
  • Regional Analysis
    • IT Market Outlook
    • Table: Western Europe, IT Spending Growth, 2004-2009 (%)
      • Hardware
      • Software
        • What is the Situation Today?
        • How IT Vendors can Help Clients
      • Services
      • Table: Western Europe, Growth in IT Spending, 2004-2009 (%)
    • Economic Expectations
    • Figure: Eurozone Economic and Western European IT Spending Forecasts, 2006?2007 (% Change Year on Year)
      • The EU Economy Gains Momentum
      • Economic Performance Will Vary Substantially Across the EU
  • Country Analysis
    • Belgium and the Netherlands
      • Economic Expectations
        • Netherlands
        • Figure: Netherlands, Quarterly GDP Component Trends, 3Q04?4Q05 (% Change Year on Year)
        • Economic situation
        • Dutch Economic Outlook
        • Figure: Netherlands, GDP and IT Spending Growth Forecast, 2005?2009
        • Belgium
      • IT Market Outlook
    • Central Europe
      • Economic Expectations
        • Germany
        • Figure: Germany, Quarterly GDP Component Trends, 2Q03?4Q05 (% Change Year on Year)
        • Confidence is Gaining Momentum in Households and Businesses.
        • Figure: Germany, Economic Confidence Indicators, June 2004?January 2006
        • Figure: Germany, Expenditure Components of GDP and IT Spending Forecasts, 2004?2009 (% Change)
        • Switzerland
        • Austria
      • IT Market Outlook
    • Nordics
      • Economic Expectations
        • Sweden
        • Norway
        • Finland
        • Denmark
      • IT Market Outlook
    • Southern Europe
      • Economic Expectations
        • France
        • The Current Situation
        • Figure: France, Quarter GDP Components, 4Q04?4Q05 (% Change Quarter on Quarter)
        • French Economic Outlook
        • Figure: France, Expenditure Components on GDP and IT Spending Forecasts, 2004?2009 (% Change Year on Year)
        • Italy
        • Figure: Italy, Quarterly trends in Italian GDP, 2004?2005 (% Change Quarter on Quarter)
        • Figure: Italy, Confidence Index per Sector, January 2004? January 2006
        • Is the Euro Strength Affecting Italian Industrial Performance? Not too Sure ?
        • Figure: Euro Influence Over Critical Italian Exports, 2005
        • Figure: Italian Sectors' Production Performances, 2005
        • Figure: Italy, Businesses and Consumer Confidence and the Euro, 2005
        • Italian Economic Outlook
        • Figure: Italy, Expenditure Components on GDP and IT Spending Forecasts, 2004?2009 (% Change)
        • Spain
        • The Current Situation
        • Figure: Quarterly Trends in Spanish GDP (% change year on year)
        • The Economic Outlook
        • Figure: Spanish Expenditure Components on GDP and IT Spending Forecasts, 2004?2009 (% Change)
        • Portugal
        • Greece
      • IT Market Outlook
    • Ireland and the United Kingdom
      • Economic Expectations
        • The U.K.
        • Figure: U.K., GDP Quarterly Indicators, 4Q03?4Q05
        • The Situation Today
        • The U.K. Economic Outlook
        • Figure: U.K., Consumer Expenditure Trend Forecasts, 2004?2009 (% Change)
        • Figure: U.K., Expenditure Components on GDP and IT Spending Forecasts, 2004?2009 (% Change)
        • Ireland
      • IT Market Outlook
  • Market Context
  • Figure: Western Europe, IT Spending Growth Forecast for 2006 From 3Q05 and 4Q05
• Essential Guidance
• Learn More
  • Related Research
  • Synopsis