According to a recent poll by Compass Intelligence, spending plans and other small business technology news is mixed.

The market research firm says that the majority of small business IT buyers are optimistic about their spending on technology as the recession lingers. Compass Intelligence research shows that 42 percent of those surveyed last month expect to keep information and communication technology spending close to the levels they were at in 2008.

Despite well over half of those polled saying they were affected negatively by the recession, the research firm expects that as the government stimulus actions gain traction, more small businesses will up their IT spending.

Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, 20 percent of survey respondents already anticipate increasing their technology purchases.

Small business news reports from a variety of sources have recently shown how entrepreneurs are using technology to increase efficiency and cut costs as many business owners maintain a much more rigid budget.