Tech Vendors' CFOs Anticipate a Healthy Year Ahead
-
Market Growth
67% of tech-vendor CFOs anticipate increased sales revenues in 2014, up from just over 50% last year. -
Rising Head Count
91% say the number of employees at their companies will increase or remain the same in the next year, up from 88% last year. -
Salary Projection
98% expect total compensation for workers to remain the same or increase in 2014. -
Staying Put
95% do not anticipate offshoring their operations in coming years. -
Outbound Traffic
59% of vendors are outsourcing manufacturing and 54% are outsourcing R&D, while 41% are doing so with IT services and programming. -
M&A Activity Continues
94% say M&A activity will increase or stay the same this year, about the same as last year. -
Hot Commodities
60% expect the competitive software/cloud computing sector to dominate most deal activity, while 24% feel the social-media sector will play a lead role. -
Top Drivers of M&A Activity
30% are pursuing M&As to boost revenue and profitability, 28% want to increase tech assets and intellectual property, and 18% seek to expand market share. -
Taxing Issue
42% of tech vendors' CFOs say the complex U.S. tax system hampers their ability to compete in the global marketplace. -
IRS/State Stress
37% are concerned about domestic corporate tax rates, and 27% are troubled by aggressive state tax laws. Nearly 1 in 5 are concerned about the expiration of tax incentives.
What Partners Need to Know About HP, Inc. 
MSPs Face Big Cybersecurity Talent Gap 
Why Tech Companies Are Eager to Invest in 5G 
The Problem With Partner Referral Programs 
Microsoft Taps Channel for Digital Business 
New Technologies Will Fuel Channel Opportunities 
Channel's Transition to the Cloud Requires More Time 
Microsoft's Cloud Channel Begins to Mature 
Defining MSPs' Goals, Challenges and Tools 
Why Metrics Matter to the Channel When the chief financial officer is having a good day, everyone is. Fortunately, these fiduciary gatekeepers are expecting good days ahead, according to a recent survey from BDO USA. The majority of tech vendors' CFOs anticipate rising sales revenues this year and expect to hire more employees and better compensate existing ones. The M&A market should also heat up, especially within the software/cloud sales sector, but issues linger such as compliance with an increasingly complex U.S. tax code. Still, this shouldn't change an overall positive, growth-focused outlook. "Although the overall U.S. employment market has been slow to recover, the technology industry has been a bright spot for employment opportunities, particularly in major U.S. technology hubs," said Aftab Jamil, partner and leader of the Technology and Life Sciences practice at BDO USA. "As demand for the latest technology offerings remains strong, hiring wars will continue, and companies will need to compete for the strongest, most innovative talent in the domestic and global markets." Here are key takeaways from the study.