Computerworld's most recent Vital Signs survey found that 32 percent of respondents said that server spending represents the single biggest increase in their IT budgets for 2008. Server consolidations, virtualization projects and the rollout of Windows Server 2008 are among the factors driving spending on new servers. Cyclical spending issues are also a factor, according to Computerworld.
"After the dot-com crash, many organizations began keeping equipment for four, five or even seven years rather than the usual three," the article notes. "Many of those systems are now being retired." GM, MasterCard and Bank of New York/Mellon are among the organizations that talk about their server spending plans for next year.