European Information Technology Observatory

The EITO Report provides the most essential and up-to-date analyses, forecast data and trends about the IT and telecommunications markets in Western and Eastern Europe.

EITO, European Information Technology Observatory on ICT Technologies, created in 1992 according to a project of a team of sector professionals and sponsored by Telecom Italia, represents the most authoritative and comprehensive source for market data about Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Europe and it is a fundamental operational and strategic tool for decision makers, operators and people involved in developing the sector.

The Observatory carries out an annual report thanks to the involvement and cooperation of the main European trade fairs in the sector (CeBit and Simo), of European associations and of the European Commission. The EITO report provides the most essential and up-to-date analyses and the most important forecast data and trends about the Western and Eastern European IT and telecommunications markets, including detailed statistics by country and by market segment. The criteria are updated and enriched year after year according to market dynamics and the emerging of new market niches.

According to an EITO report published in September 2008, after a modest upswing in 2006 and 2007, during the first months of 2008 the Italian economy again stagnated as it had between 2001-2005. Consumer price inflation accelerated sharply in May 2008 to its highest level in twelve years, as energy and food prices continued to surge. Italian inflation rose 3.6% on an annual basis in May, up from 3.3% in April. Moreover, the Euro’s appreciation against the US Dollar and other currencies is negatively affecting exports.
For all these reasons, growth expectations for Italy are very poor: according to the OCED, Italian GDP will increase by 1.3% in both 2008 and 2009.

According to a recent EITO analysis presented in June 2009, the EU telecommunications market will be valued at €362 billion in 2010, nearly unchanged versus the previous year’s level. Major shifts are underway however among the different market segments. Europe-wide, fixed voice telephony services will fall 6.8% to €70.2 billion. Both wireless and fixed-line data services are booming. Sales from internet access fees are projected to rise 7.2% in 2009 to €36.3 billion. The mobile telephony market will stagnate at €109 billion despite an increasing number of users. Driven by the recovery of the mobile phone market, EITO expects that the telecom market will grow 1.0% in 2010 to 365.7 € billion.