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IT Spending and Staffing Benchmarks 2009/2010: Full Study June, 2009 Our 2009/2010 IT Spending and Staffing Benchmarks study provides a comprehensive view of the current state of IT budgeting and staffing levels for business and governmental organizations in North America. This article allows purchase of all 21 chapters at a significant discount off the individual chapter price. (1,053 pp., 576 figs.) [Full Study Description and Chapter Pricing] Use of IT Security Outsourcing Low but Rising as Threats Grow June, 2009 Outsourcing at least a portion of IT security operations makes increasing sense in today's online business environment. In this study, we examine data on the percentage of organizations outsourcing security for the composite sample, by organization size, and by sector. We also look at the level of satisfaction with IT security service providers, the amount of security work outsourced by organizations, and the trend in terms of the percentage of organizations changing their level of security outsourcing. Our analysis also discusses the types of outsourcing services, changes in the industry, and the cost and benefits of security outsourcing. We conclude with reasons security outsourcing should continue to grow and mature. (13 pp., 8 figs.) [Executive Summary] IT Strategic Planning More Important Now than Ever June, 2009 In the current climate of economic recession, it may be tempting for IT managers to cut funding for strategic planning and devote the savings to more immediate operational needs. Such a view is shortsighted, however. During times of economic uncertainty, strategic planning becomes even more of a necessity. In this study, we describe the fundamental components of an IT strategic plan. We assess current adoption trends for multiyear IT strategic planning for the composite sample, by organization size, and by industry sector. We conclude by making the case for why IT organizations should continue to engage in strategic planning as priorities shift from growth to restraining costs. (10 pp., 3 figs.) [Executive Summary] Adoption of IT Asset Management Reaching Maturity May, 2009 IT asset management (ITAM) systems improve the tracking of location, configuration, and identity of computer assets and related data, while reducing the effort required to collect and maintain this information. This study provides an overview of ITAM systems adoption and economic experience. We review key activities supported by ITAM systems and key features found in leading vendor solutions. We then assess adoption trends, return on investment (ROI) experience, and total cost of ownership (TCO) experience of organizations. The data is assessed for the composite sample of 200 organizations and by organization size and sector. We conclude with our recommendations on requirements that ITAM systems should meet. (14 pp., 11 figs.) [Executive Summary] Measuring Help-Desk Efficiency May, 2009 As a labor-intensive function, the IT help desk (or service desk) is generally high on management’s list of areas targeted for productivity gains. But, as it is often said, if you cannot measure something you cannot improve it. To meet the needs of managers seeking to better handle this critical function, this study examines the most common metrics used for tracking help-desk efficiency, costs, and productivity. It also assesses the role of technology, service-level agreements, outsourcing, and IT service management best practices in improving the return on investment for the service desk. (14 pp., 6 figs.) [Executive Summary] IT Staffing Ratios, 2009: Benchmarking Metrics and Analysis for 14 Key IT Functions May, 2009 This special publication bundles the entire collection of our reports on IT staffing ratios. The IT functions covered include IT management, project management, documentation and training, help desk, desktop support, business analysts, server support, network administration, applications development, ERP support, database administration, IT quality assurance, IT security, and web/e-commerce. This special collection is a valuable source of information for IT executives interested in benchmarking their staffing levels with those of similar organizations. (196 pp., 111 figs.) [Full Report Description and Free Sample] Predictable Costs Positive Sign for Unified Communications May, 2009 Early adopters of unified communications systems are achieving positive results. Risk appears low thanks to predictable costs. We also find that while this technology is still early in its adoption cycle, our research points rising interest. This article assesses the growth in unified communications by analyzing current adoption activity and provides a view of the return on investment (ROI) and total cost of ownership (TCO) experienced by early adopters. We examine adoption, ROI, and TCO by organization size and sector, as well as for the composite sample. (15 pp., 10 figs.) [Executive Summary] Server Support Staffing Ratios April, 2009 In this study on server support staffing ratios, we provide three benchmarking metrics: server support staff as a percentage of IT staff, users per server support staff member, and, most importantly, servers per server support staff member. We provide these metrics for small, midsize, and large organizations. We also look at other factors that can influence server support staffing, including the number of operating systems in an environment, the impact of virtualization on data center efficiency, and the amount of time support staff spends on projects and technical support. (14 pp., 8 figs.) [Executive Summary] Preparing IT for a Different Kind of Disaster: an Influenza Pandemic April, 2009 Public health authorities warn risks of a pandemic are growing in light of the swine flu outbreak and avian flu cases. Because pandemics are fundamentally different from the disasters commonly envisioned in business continuity plans, most IT organizations are not prepared to face this threat. This updated report outlines the specific ways in which pandemics are different from other types of disasters. It suggests three planning scenarios, and it outlines specific actions that IT risk managers should consider to prepare for a potential flu pandemic. If adequately prepared, the IT group will be able to continue to support critical business functions, and it can provide solutions to help the organization get through a pandemic. (12 pp., 1 fig.) [Executive Summary] SaaS Returns Bolster Cloud Computing’s Promise March, 2009 IT organizations are turning more and more to “the cloud” for computing resources, whether they be applications, data center infrastructure, development platforms, or services. In this study, we present adoption trends, return on investment, and total cost of ownership experiences for software as a service (SaaS), which represents one significant component of the cloud computing paradigm. We also define cloud computing by looking at some of the major vendor offerings and conclude with key points IT managers should consider when evaluating cloud computing options. (14 pp., 8 figs.) [Executive Summary] Insider Misuse of Computing Resources March, 2009 This special report, based on our survey of IT security professionals and executives worldwide, analyzes the threat of insider misuse of computing resources--that is, any violation of an organization's policies regarding acceptable use. Examples include unauthorized file copying; downloading of software, music, or other media; P2P file-sharing; rogue remote access programs, modems, and wireless access points; misuse of business or personal email; instant messaging; blogging and posting to message boards; and personal web surfing. For each of these types of insider misuse, we present data concerning the perceived seriousness of the threat, typical organizational policies or lack thereof, frequency of violations against company policy, analysis of preventive and detective actions taken by organizations to deter the misuse, and typical levels of enforcement. (77 pp., 75 figs.) [Extended Description] [Executive Summary] 2009 IT Salary Report February, 2009 The Computer Economics 2009 IT Salary Report provides current salary ranges for 70 specific IT job positions in 73 U.S. metropolitan areas. Salary ranges are further broken down by organizational size for each job position within each metropolitan area. (Small organizations are those with annual revenues less than $350 million and fewer than 50 IT staff members. Midsize/large are those with least $350 million in revenue and 50 IT staff members). To provide typical salary ranges, all salary data is provided at the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile. (157 pp., 76 figs.) [Full Description of This Report] [Executive Summary] |
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IT Security Outsourcing: Still Small but Promising IT Strategic Planning is a Critical Process Key Features of IT Asset Management Systems Service Desk Prime Target for Efficiency Gains Server Support Headcounts Hold Steady Swine Flu, Avian Flu, and IT Disaster Recovery Planning Unified Communications Adoption May Be Inevitable The Cloud Swells: SaaS Returns Encouraging Security Threats in Employee Misuse of IT Resources |
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