While confidence among small business IT decision makers is gaining ground, the momentum is still not as strong as the medium and large business sectors. According to the latest CDW IT Monitor, a bimonthly indicator that tracks the direction and momentum of the U.S. IT marketplace, the number of small businesses that expect to hire additional IT staff over the next six months rose four percentage points to seven percent but still lags behind medium and large businesses at 24 and 34 percent, respectively.

Expectations of IT budget growth rose to 30 percent, the largest increase in the corporate sector since October. Fifty-seven percent of small businesses expect to replace or install new software in the next six months, the highest percentage since August 2008 (pre-crisis).

Additional small business highlights from the December CDW IT Monitor include:

• Forty percent of small businesses anticipate investing in new hardware in the next six months, the lowest reading among any corporate or government sector.
• Only 17 percent of small businesses plan to implement discretionary IT projects over the next six months, the lowest percentage among any corporate or government sector.