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Help Desk Staffing Ratios and Outsourcing Trends May, 2008 This study provides guidelines for planning appropriate staffing levels for the IT help desk (service desk) function. We provide help desk staffing ratios by number of users and the number of PCs serviced by each help desk worker. We also analyze these statistics by organization size and industry. Finally, because help desk is a common target for outsourcing, we also examine current trends and levels in the use of outside service providers who provide IT help desk support. (6 pp., 11 figs.) [Executive Summary] Virtualization Improves Productivity of Data Center Staff May, 2008 One of the least recognized factors of server virtualization ROI is the positive impact that virtualization has on the productivity of data center personnel. In this article, we provide statistics showing that the productivity of data center staff improved significantly from 2006 and 2007, concurrent with an increase in OS virtualization levels. These trends are consistent across Windows, Unix, and Linux platforms. We conclude by summarizing the reasons that data center staff productivity benefits from increasing the level of virtualization. (4 pp., 4 figs.) [Executive Summary] Mitigating Security Threats by Minimizing Software Attack Surfaces May, 2008 An important method for improving the security of software is to assess and minimize the system's "attack surface." In this report, we provide a conceptual understanding of attack surfaces and explore how to use this concept to improve security of both internally-developed software as well as systems purchased as off-the-shelf software. We conclude by recommending best practices for limiting attack opportunities on IT systems. (4 pp., 2 figs.) [Executive Summary] ERP Support Staffing Ratios April, 2008 ERP systems can be major investments requiring a substantial effort in implementation. Yet many organizations do not realize that the total cost of ownership of an ERP system is composed largely of ongoing support. In this report, we analyze ERP support staffing levels by size of the installation, the scope of functionality implemented, class of software vendor (Oracle and SAP vs. all others), the extent of system modification, the number of ERP versions and instances in production, and the age of the system. In addition, we analyze the allocation of ERP support staff to specific job functions. Based on these statistics, we conclude with recommendations for optimizing ERP staffing levels to better manage costs and improve user satisfaction. (8 pp., 9 figs.) [Executive Summary] Data Migration Requires Process, Tools, and Expertise April, 2008 While many aspects of data migration are technical in nature, managing the conversion of data from one form to another should not be left to technicians. Without proper oversight, failures in data migration can cause project cost and schedule overruns, as well as quality problems with far-reaching effects. In this report, we provide an overview of the data migration process and the related issues that managers need to address. We also examine some of open source tools that can help to automate the task. Finally, we conclude with our recommendations for ensuring a smooth data migration process. (4 pp., 3 figs.) [Executive Summary] Current Trends in Use of IT Contract Workers April, 2008 Managing a contract workforce has become an increasingly important task for IT organizations. In this study, we examine the use of contractors and temps by organization size and sector. We also examine the four-year trend between 2004 and 2007 to discover how the use of contract labor has changed over time. Furthermore, we examine how the aggressive use of temporary employees relates to staff growth and turnover rates. The report concludes with our view on current and future trends in the IT contingency workforce. (5 pp., 7 figs.) [Executive Summary] Security Technology Spending Declines as Share of IT Budget March, 2008 IT security has been an important objective for organizations since 2001. In this study, we examine how IT managers rate "improving security" as a spending priority, how security spending has changed over the past three years as a percentage of the total IT budget, and the three-year trend in IT security staffing as a percentage of the total IT staff. These statistics are presented by organization size and for select sectors. We conclude with the implications behind these statistics and why we view these trends as indicative of the maturation of security as an IT discipline. (4 pp., 5 figs) [Executive Summary] Holding IT Accountable for Energy Costs March, 2008 Rising energy costs are creating new pressures on IT managers to lower the amount of energy consumed by data centers. Yet, surprisingly, nearly half of IT organizations are not held accountable for energy costs in their IT budgets. This article analyzes current practices in IT budgeting for power and cooling costs, looks at two key concepts for assessing the return on investment from more energy-efficient data center technologies, and suggests ways in which IT mangers could actually benefit from having utilities charged to the IT budget. (4 pp., 4 figs.) [Executive Summary] Features Will Push Windows Server 2008 Adoption March, 2008 The rollout of Windows Server 2008 offers IT managers an array of new capabilities and the potential to reduce administrative burden and enhance security. This article explains the new features of Server 2008 that we predict will drive its adoption, the five flavors of the OS, and the data center roles that each of them play. We conclude with our projections for Windows Server 2008 adoption levels through 2011. (4 pp., 5 figs.) [Executive Summary] Vendor Discounts on Computer Equipment (Mar. 2008) March, 2008 Market intelligence on current discounting practices for computer equipment can be difficult for buyers to obtain. Vendors often require non-disclosure agreements as a condition to receiving their largest and best discounts. As a result, future buyers may find it difficult to determine whether the discount offered is typical or whether a better deal can be negotiated. This updated report, based on our knowledge of current market conditions, provides IT buyers with insight and guidance concerning current discount structures on a variety of computer equipment. Categories include personal computers (desktops, notebooks, and monitors), servers (blade servers, mainframes, and midrange servers), workstations, disk systems, tape storage, miscellaneous I/O, and networking equipment. Vendors include IBM, HP, Sun, EMC, HDS, StorageTek, Cisco, Juniper, and CipherOptics. (6 pp., 15 figs.) IT Salaries Rising Despite Economic Slowdown February, 2008 After several years of growing investment in technology, IT managers are now coming under pressure to restrain headcount, reduce costs, and improve the efficiency of their IT operations due to the slowing economy. At the same time, there is ample evidence that investments in Web-based initiatives, database-centric business applications development, and converged voice/data networks will continue to place upward pressure on salaries for certain job functions where skills are in tight supply. This free Research Byte is an executive summary of our 2008 IT Salary Report, which provides an analysis of IT staffing and salary trends from 2001 through 2007, including our projections for 2008. It also provides extensive tables of salaries for 78 IT job positions in 78 U.S. metropolitan areas for small, medium, and large organizations at the median, 25th, and 75th percentiles. Federated Approach to Configuration Management Database Yields Quickest Benefits February, 2008 Choosing and implementing a Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is often one of the earliest projects in an ITIL program. However, many implementations fail, because they are not clear on the needed functionality or they try to do too much before delivering business value. This report identifies the major types of CMDB applications and analyzes why a federated approach to CMDB is recommended. It also suggests an implementation approach for delivering maximum value. Finally, we provide recommendations concerning the staffing levels required for ongoing support of CMDB data management. (3 pp., 1 fig.) Configuration Management Database ROI Requires Careful Implementation February, 2008 All IT managers need up-to-date knowledge of organizational IT assets and resources. Yet, maintaining timely information on all IT assets, their configurations, and relationships can be a monumental task. One solution to this problem is the Configuration Management Database (CMDB). In this study, we examine adoption trends of CMDB solutions among small, medium, and large companies, as well as the return on investment (ROI) and total cost of ownership (TCO) experiences of the companies that have implemented these systems. We conclude with recommendations for companies considering implementing a CMDB solution. (4 pp., 4 figs.) [Executive Summary] Business Continuity Spending: How Much Is Enough? February, 2008 How much business continuity spending is appropriate for the level of risk an organization is willing to accept? In this study, we look at average spending on business continuity as a percentage of the IT budget. Because risks and compliance issues can vary widely from sector to sector, we break down spending by industry to provide more targeted metrics. We also analyze spending by organizational size and look at the change in spending levels from 2006 to 2007. Finally, we investigate how organizations rank disaster recovery improvements as a budgetary priority. (4 pp., 5 figs.) [Executive Summary] 2008 IT Salary Report January, 2008 This edition of our annual salary report provides 2008 salary ranges for 78 specific IT job positions in 78 U.S. metropolitan areas along with high-level job descriptions for each position. Salary ranges are further broken down by organizational size for each job position within each metropolitan area. Organizational sizes are defined as small (annual revenues less than $250 million), medium ($250-750 million), and large (over $750 million). To aid in analysis, all salary statistics are provided at the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile. (322 pp., 84 figs.) [Detailed Description of this Report] 2008 IT Spending Outlook: Anemic Growth November, 2007 Although IT operational budgets increased by a healthy 5% this year over 2006 levels, Computer Economics is now detecting a slight bias toward underspending relative to budgets this year. Furthermore, IT executives are now lowering their expectations for increased IT spending in 2008. These trends are most pronounced among large organizations. This article presents the results of our Q4 survey of IT executives and what they mean for the IT spending outlook in 2008. (3 pp., 6 figs.) |
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Maximizing Help Desk Efficiency Virtualization: Key to a Productive Data Center Minimize Software Attack Surfaces for Stronger Security Factors That Affect ERP Support Staffing Levels Contract IT Workforce Increasing for Some Firms IT Security: Moving Beyond the Technology Fix IT Salaries Rising Despite Economic Slowdown IT Budget Chargebacks: Making Users Pay 2008 IT Spending Outlook: Anemic Growth |
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