Pointers from industry insiders for enterprise software in 2009 include:

Buy if you can, but don't go overboard

"It's almost self-evident that software vendors right now want to close deals," said Frank Scavo, managing partner of Strativa, an IT consulting firm in Irvine, California. "Buyers are probably in the strongest position they've been in years. The balance of power has shifted considerably."

One IT executive said the rocky economy is clearly providing him with a strategic advantage.

"Vendors are doing everything they can to gain our business," said Mykolas Rambus, CIO of Forbes Media. "As far as technology spend, we're certainly making prudent cuts. But at the same time, we're plowing money into areas we think generate ROI." Those areas include e-commerce and data warehousing, he said.