Prague, January 24, 2012 – The top 10 IT vendors serving the government sector in Central and Eastern Europe's Visegrad Group (V4), consisting of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, account for over half of total government IT spending in the region. According to a study by IT market research company IDC released in December, the top vendors in the government sector were: Asseco, Atos, BIW Koncept, HP, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, Telefonica O2 Business Solutions, and T-Systems.

"With more than $2.2 billion in government spending in play in 2011 and $2.35 billion forecast for 2012, the stakes are high in the V4 government sector," says Mark Yates, research analyst for IDC Government Insights. "While winning contracts through tenders depends on making a compelling case, it also depends heavily on reputation and branding, and vendors that stay top-of-mind through concerted promotions and outreach have a significant edge."

Key findings from the study include:

The three leading vendors – HP, Asseco, and IBM – accounted for more than half of the revenue from the top 10 and more than a quarter of total IT spending in the government sector.
Microsoft is the leading software provider, as its Office Suite is still widely used by government entities at all levels, from municipal to federal.
Polish players Asseco and BIW Concept proved formidable competitors to global players, particularly in their home country market.
IDC expects competition for contracts to intensify as budgets get cut, the eurozone crisis continues, and recession threatens the Western half of the continent. IDC believes an independent, high-level assessment of the key players is essential to vendors looking to maintain (or even expand) market share in the government sector.

IDC's Government Insights Vendor Assessment: Top IT Vendors in the Government Sector in Central Europe (IDC #CEMA17938) alerts IT vendors to the competitive environment in the government sector in the four core Central European markets of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. It ranks the top 10 IT vendors serving the government sector by revenue, examines their positions (strengths, weaknesses, etc.), and offers insight into how to further develop the sector.

To purchase the study or to learn more about IDC's research into vertical markets, please contact Tatiana Hinova at thinova@idc.com or +420 221 423 140.