IT spending for first responders to reach $4.4 billion by 2011

More interesting news from Datamonitor, the erstwhile market analysis company. According to the firm, state and local government spending on IT for first responders is set to rise from $3.2 billion in 2006 to $4.4 billion by 2011. Driving the market is an increased emphasis in interoperability and a growing confidence that, if the money is there, the technology is getting strong enough to catch it. Nevertheless, public safety agencies continue to report insufficient funding -- as well as interagency bickering over communications formats -- as major obstacles impeding the interoperability process. Another contributing factor, according to analyst Kate McCurdy, is "the fact that agencies receive few directives on which technologies will help them enhance interoperability and there emerges a situation where state and local governments recognize the need to improve interoperability but lack the means to do so."