In August/November 2007, the IDC European Industry Solutions group carried out a survey among 2,077 companies with more than 20 employees in the top 5 Western European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the U.K.).

The results of the survey will be analyzed by vertical and company size and will be the basis for a series of demand-side studies to be published under the European Vertical Markets, European Vertical Views, European Small and Medium Markets, and selected European Industry Insights services.

"End-user surveys are a critical input for research groups studying business and IT trends, requirements, solution priorities, and IT purchasing patterns of European companies across verticals and company size," said Giacomo Laurini, senior research analyst for the IDC European Industry Solutions team.