Covid-19: Software firms sharpen focus on AI, big data as IT spending drops

BENGALURU : Software companies are intensifying their focus on in-demand technologies and exploring innovative ways to service their clients even as the covid-19 crisis creates challenges across industries and leads to a reduction in technology spending.

The adoption of big data and artificial intelligence (AI) are set to increase though global IT spending is expected to drop 3-4% this year, with a severe impact on hardware and slowdown in the software and services business, said research firm IDC.

Software vendors such as IBM, SAP and Microsoft are gearing up to make use of these emerging technologies to add value to their customers. IBM has made its AI platform ‘Watson Assistant for Citizens’ on the public cloud available free of charge for at least 90 days. It helps citizens understand and respond to common questions about covid-19.