Mumbai, Jan 12 (IANS): Global IT spending is projected to reach $3.5 trillion in 2017, a 2.7 per cent increase from 2016, market research firm Gartner said on Thursday.

Worldwide devices spending (PCs, tablets, ultramobiles and mobile phones) is projected to remain flat in 2017 at $589 billion. 

"2017 was poised to be a rebound year in IT spending. However, some of the political uncertainty in global markets has fostered a wait-and-see approach causing many enterprises to forestall IT investments," said John-David Lovelock, Research Vice President at Gartner. 

However, a replacement cycle in the PC market and strong pricing and functionality of premium ultramobiles will help drive growth in 2018. 

Emerging markets will drive the replacement cycle for mobile phones as smartphones in these markets are used as a main computing device and replaced more regularly than in mature markets, the report said. 

The global IT services market is expected to grow 4.2 per cent in 2017. Buyer investments in digital business, intelligent automation, services optimisation and innovation will continue to drive growth in the market, but buyer caution, fuelled by broad economic challenges, remains a counter-balance to faster growth.