Here's a mind-boggling piece of research. Apparently, European companies spend a staggering €535bn a year on IT. But half of IT directors don't feel it's possible to measure successfully the return on their IT investments.

Furthermore, more than a third of IT directors complained that the IT industry failed to help them justify their IT spending.

The survey was carried out by IT research and publishing outfit MIS UK.

Said boss Quentin Long: "IT directors are under increasing pressure to justify their spending, but as this research shows there is not always a clear cut way of measuring the return on IT spending."

El Reg's suggestion? Don't let the bean counters see the report and keep on bluffing. Mum's the word. ®