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Data Centers Slowing Growth of Server Counts
Proliferation of low-end servers is a common problem in data centers today. In response, organizations are fighting server proliferation by investing in server virtualization, data center consolidation, and data center automation tools. In theory, these investments should result in slower growth of low-end servers and increasing growth in the acquisition of more powerful servers. In practice, however, organizations appear to be restraining the growth of all classes of servers and reducing overall spending on server hardware and software.
November, 2008
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IT Project Manager Staff Levels Increasing
As a formal discipline, project management has been around since the 1950s, but its application to the unique requirements of IT is still growing and maturing. Our research indicates that over the past three years, IT shops have been relying more and more on professional project management. The number of organizations establishing Project Management Offices has been steadily increasing and experienced IT project managers are in demand. This Research Byte is a summary of our full report, IT Project Manager Staffing Ratios and PMO Adoption Rates.
November, 2008
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IT Project Manager Staffing Ratios and PMO Adoption Rates (2008)
Much of the work within IT is project-based. Therefore, the project manager position is one of the most important jobs within the IT organization. This study examine the question of how many project managers (PMs) a typical IT organization requires. We present staffing ratios by the total number of IT staff members, users, and developers to give managers three ways to benchmark their operations against organizations of similar size. The second part of this study examines Project Management Office (PMO) adoption trends and the impact on IT manager and PM staffing levels. We conclude with a discussion on how to measure the success of project managers and PMOs, as well as project management best practices. (7 pp., 9 figs.) [Executive Summary]
November, 2008
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2009 IT Spending Forecast: No Growth
How are IT executives responding to the current turmoil in worldwide financial markets? Are they preemptively cutting IT spending and staffing levels in anticipation of further declines in business conditions, or are they holding the line on substantial cuts in IT capabilities and personnel, knowing how hard it will be to rebuild once the economy improves? This Research Byte is a summary of our full report, which updates our forecast for 2009 IT spending and staffing levels.
November, 2008
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Outlook for 2009 IT Spending and Staffing Levels
To understand how IT decision-makers are responding to the current turmoil in worldwide financial markets, Computer Economics conducted a special survey in October 2008. The results are analyzed in this report, which breaks down changes in IT operational budgets over the past three months and analyzes IT executive expectations for actual 2008 spending versus budget. In addition, we discuss the budget-cutting actions that IT executives have taken over the past three months in response to economic conditions. We also report IT staffing level changes over the past 12 months and IT executive expections for 2009 IT spending and staffing levels by organization size. We conclude with our analysis of why the outlook is not as negative as one might expect. (10 pp., 11 figs.)[Executive Summary]
November, 2008
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IT Spending Outlook for 2009: Could Be Worse
(IRVINE, Calif.) IT organizations decidedly stepped up their cost-cutting measures in the third quarter of 2008. Nevertheless, as they head into 2009, most IT executives are not anticipating deep cuts in IT operational spending or staffing levels, according to a new survey by Computer Economics, an IT research and advisory firm in Irvine, California.
November, 2008
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Business Intelligence: Bright Spot in IT Investment
In spite of current economic conditions, the majority of organizations this year are investing in business intelligence (BI), according to our study. This is in spite of the cost overruns frequently reported by our survey respondents for BI projects.
October, 2008
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Business Intelligence Adoption Trends and Economic Experiences
Nearly 60% of organizations are investing in BI initiatives this year. Yet, obtaining a positive return on investment is not easy. This study provides technology adoption statistics and reports on the ROI and TCO experiences of organizations that have implemented BI solutions, based on our most recent annual survey of over 200 IT organizations. The results are presented for the entire sample and by organization size and sector. We conclude with precautions that IT managers should take to control the total cost of ownership for business intelligence applications. (7 pp., 12 figs.)[Executive Summary]
October, 2008
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Trends in IT Incentive Pay
The development of incentive pay plans turned into a minor industry over the past decade as business managers became enamored with the idea that paying for performance could increase productivity. While there is merit to the strategy, there has also been a growing awareness that ill-conceived incentive pay programs can have negative consequences and that money is not always the best way to motivate employees.
October, 2008
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Pay for Performance: Popularity and Impact of Incentive Pay in the IT Workforce 2008
The incentive pay debate is intense and has strong advocates on both sides. In this study, we analyze the current trend within the IT industry based on a Computer Economics survey conducted during the first half of 2008. We provide data on the percentage of employees receiving incentive pay by job level, the percentage of compensation comprising incentive pay, the percentage of incentive bonuses based on individual, group, and company performance, and the impact of incentive pay on employee turnover rates. Our study concludes with recommendations for implementing effective programs and mitigating some of the unintended consequences of paying for performance. (5 pp., 6 figs.) [Executive Summary]
October, 2008
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Documentation and Training Staff Headcount Declining
Documentation and training is a bit like motherhood and apple pie--universally appreciated and well spoken of. Yet, in practice, fewer than half of all IT organizations today employ documentation and training specialists as a discrete job position. Furthermore, over the last decade the percentage of IT staff dedicated to these functions has been falling. If the job is so important, why is headcount declining?
September, 2008
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Documentation and Training Staffing Ratios
Documentation and training is a small but important function in the IT organization. In this study, we examine how staffing levels for this function have changed over the past decade. We also provide current metrics for this job function by organizational size, which IT managers can use to benchmark their employee headcount levels. Metrics include documentation/training specialists as a percentage of total IT staff, number of users per specialist, and number of developers per specialist. We conclude with our recommendations for optimizing staffing levels and productivity of IT documentation and IT training personnel. (4 pp., 5 figs.)[Executive Summary]
September, 2008
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Open Source Business Apps Enjoy Strong ROI
(IRVINE, Calif.) Businesses that implement open source ERP, CRM, and other business applications generally achieve strongly positive return on investment (ROI), according to a newly released Computer Economics study.
September, 2008
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Open Source Shows Promise for Business Apps
While open source software has established a place for itself in the IT infrastructure, many organizations have shied away from deploying open source at the applications layer, preferring to stay with vendor-supported commercial software packages. But interest in open source business applications is on the rise, among small organizations that perceive potential cost savings and among large organizations that appreciate the flexibility and extensibility of open source. For some IT managers, the time may be right to give open source serious consideration for business systems.
September, 2008
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Open Source Business Applications: Adoption and Participation Trends
In this study, we examine adoption trends and the economic experiences of organizations that have deployed open source business applications. The analysis addresses current adoption levels, current investment activity, return on investment experience, and total cost of ownership experience. We also examine variations in adoption and investment levels by organization size and industry sector. Finally, we look at a related issue: the number or organizations actively contributing to open source development projects. We conclude with key considerations for IT managers who are assessing the suitability of open source business applications. (7 pp., 10 figs.)[Executive Summary]
September, 2008
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