Indiana Technology News

The top story for today's news cycle is good news for the Indiana technology sector. Results from a survey of 4,000 business professionals throughout the state indicate that technology business trends are on the minds of many, and for all the right reasons.

The Indiana Business Council survey, conducted through a partnership between Inside Indiana Business and Indianapolis-based Walker, revealed that tech companies expect customers to spend more in 2011 and that they plan to hire new employees to meet the increased demand of technology sector growth.

• 79% expect customers to increase spending in 2011
• 54% plan to add jobs in 2011 (which is much higher than overall expectations)
• 85% feel there will increased need for their technology products and services in 2011

In an interview on Inside Indiana Business with Gerry Dick, Slingshot SEO President Kevin Bailey said that more availability of funding and an increased focus on sales were both important, but that he believes innovation is the key to success for Indiana's technology sector.

"At Slingshot we are always trying to focus on, we gotta have something great to sell," Bailey said. "Being innovative I think is, for my company, always first and foremost. We want to have the most innovative product in search engine optimization for enterprise companies, so with that innovation we have something great to sell. So I would still put innovation at the top of my list but sales is right there under that because obviously sales drives growth."

Indiana's tech sector has good reasons to be optimistic as the economy continues its climb out of recession because of its performance during the recession. Even during the height of the global recession, Indiana GAINED 1,200 new tech jobs, according to TechAmerica's Cyberstates report.

Investors are also betting on the Indiana tech sector and emerging business technology coming out of Hoosier companies. While venture capital nationally was at a 10-year low during the recession, Indiana grew venture investment by double digits, including a 70% leap in 2008.

During the interview on Inside Indiana Business, Kevin Bailey said that Indiana has great leaders that mentor startups and that the culture of Indiana's tech sector is collaborative and helpful to small technology businesses.