The Growing Urgency Of IT Spending: As security threats beckon on every front, banks sharpen...

IT spending by U.S. banks is expected to pick up in 2005, rising by four to six percent over last year, according to industry estimates. This push will provide significant outsourcing opportunities as virtually all banks, including community banks, look to unshackle their staffs from regulatory and security tasks that do not give them a competitive advantage in a hypercompetitive market.

Community bank spending trends and priorities will very much mirror that of the overall banking sector, though as a percentage of revenue, their spending may trail the rest of the indus