Berlin  - Germany's key IT industry expressed cautious optimism Wednesday about its business outlook for 2010 amid signs that the world economic crisis is in retreat.

"We are seeing light at the end of the tunnel," said German IT business association Bitkom president August-Wilhelm Scheer.

After slumping by 2.5 per cent to 142 billion euros (212 billion dollars)this year, BITKOM expects the German IT business to post a 0.1-per-cent growth rate in 2010.(dpa)