The pharmaceutical industry was the best at aligning IT with overall operational expense gains this year, and it registered the biggest jumps in both revenue (5.39%) and IT spending (11.18%), according to Meta Group's Worldwide IT Benchmark Report 2004. The hospitality and travel sector--hit hard in 2002 by fear of terrorism, business travel cutbacks, and fierce competition from low-cost startups--bit the bullet to take second place in 2003, increasing its IT spending by 10.63%.

But the big increases in tech spending next year, research firm Gartner predicts, will come from manufacturing and insurance companies, with jumps of 12.41% and 12%, respectively. Electronics, food and beverage, and metals and natural-resources companies will boost IT budgets by 8% or more, while health care, IT, and media companies will clock increases in the 5% to 6% range.

Overall, increases in IT spending will triple next year, Meta Group says, from an almost-flat 1.38% to 4.99%.