Total ICT spending in the government sector will grow to $441 billion by 2018, research firm Frost & Sullivan expects.
Of this forecast ICT spending, North America is expected to account for 47.4%, followed by Asia-Pacific with 21.7% and Western Europe with 21.3%.
“Most modern states have deployed online services by using specific websites, and a few of them have extended these services to the mobile space,” said Frost & Sullivan ICT Global Program Director Jean-Noël Georges. “This approach allows governments to be more present and accessible to citizens even when live services are not available.”
While the move toward digital modernization hit a roadblock during the economic downturn, the research firm said governments are keenly aware of the need for state modernization to deliver high-quality services to citizens, which is increasing government spend on ICT.
However, with the rise in the use of digital services, there will be parallel rise in the need to educate citizens on the necessity of using governmental online services.
“Many governments have established physical shops to demonstrate the use of online services and to ensure a physical presence to citizens,” observes Georges. “Citizen shops in Portugal, for example, offer in the same location, all the services deemed necessary for CITIZEN 2.0.”
Overall, the number of mobile devices in developed countries, coupled with advanced network infrastructure, will facilitate the large-scale deployment of online services. Even though most of these services are still only viewable through a tablet or smartphone, in due course, they will be specifically designed for mobile devices.