CIOs Must Balance Daily Operations With Innovation
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CIOs Must Balance Daily Operations With Innovation
Tech leaders must execute day-to-day IT operations efficiently and cost-effectively, and develop the technological foundations for innovation and future growth. -
Tech Is at the Company Core
85% of the technology professionals surveyed agree that their leadership believes their company is an IT company at heart. -
Infrastructure Challenges
Half of the IT pros face the challenge of upgrading hardware and software and integrating applications without threatening the core architecture. -
Cloud Migration: A New Frontier
84% of the survey respondents are invested in cloud services, but one-third worry that implementation is too disruptive. -
Budget Allocations
The IT professionals surveyed identified security (55%) and the cloud (44%) as the top two areas in which their budget needs to grow. -
"As a Service" Is Popular
As IT leaders weigh today's needs with tomorrow's, they continue to flock to the cloud. Software as a Service and Security as a Service are the lead cloud computing models at 57% and 51% respectively. -
Infrastructure and Disaster Recovery Lag
Infrastructure as a Service (39%) and Disaster Recovery as a Service (34%) lag behind SaaS and Security as a Service. -
Benefits of Cloud Services
More flexible, collaborative IT environment: 61%, Safer data environment: 59%, Better remote access: 55%, Improved support for providers: 48%, Faster speed to market: 36%, Reduction in capital expenditure fees: 35% -
Taking a Two-Pronged Approach
63% of the IT pros surveyed said their company is adopting a two-pronged IT approach, with one group focusing on predictability and operations and the other focusing on innovation. -
Influencing Tech Decisions
22% of the IT professionals said that beyond the IT department, product development has the most influence over technology decisions. -
Integrating the IoT
49% said they have begun to integrate the internet of things (IoT) into their technology strategies related to consumer engagement. -
Above-Average Infrastructure
Asked to grade their IT infrastructure, the IT professionals surveyed gave an average grade of "B," up from a "B-" last year. 53% said optimization and upgrading hardware and software are the biggest pain points.
The line between business and technology strategies has begun to blur, according to a new study, and IT personnel increasingly operate at the core of their organizations. As a result, IT leaders face two sets of challenges: executing day-to-day IT operations efficiently and cost-effectively, and developing the technological foundations for innovation and future growth, according to the "2017 Intelligent Technology Index" report from cloud and service solutions firm Insight. But IT executives must find the right balance. If they focus too heavily on one, they may neglect the other, so they must balance today's priorities with future demands. "IT leaders may be showing improved optimization around their ability to manage their IT infrastructures today," said Steve Dodenhoff, president of Insight U.S., "but they are also equally as apprehensive about the future. …They not only need to operate to meet today's business needs, but they also need to navigate emergent technologies, applications and complex data environments." The survey, conducted by the Market Insights Group, sampled 401 IT professionals with decision-making responsibilities. Following are the report's highlights.