> The survey of 950 IT managers at large firms found 70 per cent were looking to negotiate lower rates with service providers.

Presumably the "other" 30% will now be targeted relentlessly by the "research" firms as they obviously have too much money. I find it hard to believe that senior managers (those who still have the power to make purchasing decisions) would fall for such a brazen attempt to phish for budget information.

Next up, we'll have the dodgy-geezer "security" consultants: "'Allo guv. We're doin' a survey of local businesses. Wot kinda burgular [sic] alarm have you got? 'Ow abaht internal security - innit. 'Ave yer got any card-entry systems? 'Coz we can send ovah a security guard if yer like - 'E's really good - gotta dog too."

"The survey of 950 IT managers at large firms found 70 per cent were looking to negotiate lower rates with service providers."

IT companies in "negotiating discounts" shocker.

Nah what you means to say was

"Research company produces yet another statement of the bleedin obvious"..

I wonder where this comes in on the J-curve or hockey stick

My lot just canned the pilot downgrade from XP to Vista. All the projects trying to avoid being killed off had to justify their survival, and the Vista project couldn't come up with anything better than "it's prettier".