Grid View
List View-
Business Continuity Planning Suffers Neglect
Restoration of information systems in the event of a disaster is an essential element of risk management. At the same time, having IT systems recovered without restoring business operations is of little value. Therefore, companies need a comprehensive business continuity plan that ensures that the business itself will survive in the event of a disruption, with key business functions, as well as IT functions, re-established.
April, 2018
-
Business Continuity Planning Adoption and Best Practices
A comprehensive business continuity plan is one that ensures that the business itself will survive in the event of a disruption, with key business functions re-established. Nevertheless, far too few business leaders understand the importance of this exercise. In this report, we define what a business continuity plan should contain and look at adoption trends by organization size and sector. We also discuss the steps that IT leaders should take to create and maintain a business continuity plan. (16 pp., 6 fig.) [Research Byte]
April, 2018
-
Network Support Staffing Flat Despite Growing Demand
With the rise of the cloud, mobile applications, and the Internet of Things, demands on organizational networks have never been greater or more complex. Yet remarkably, the network support staff as a percentage of the total IT staff is basically flat, showing just a tenth of a percentage point increase this year. The increased importance of the network is being balanced by automation, best practices, and improved network technology.
March, 2018
-
Network Support Staffing Ratios 2018
The importance of computer networks cannot be overstated in this digital age. Yet remarkably, network support staff levels dropped in recent years and show no signs of rebounding. This report will help IT managers determine whether their organization is keeping pace with improvements in network management by comparing their network support staffing ratios against industry benchmarks. We provide four benchmarks: network support staff as a percentage of the IT staff, network support staff as a percentage of the Network and Communications Group, network devices per network support staff member, and users per network support staff member. We provide benchmarks by organization size and sector. (20 pp., 15 fig) [Research Byte]
March, 2018
-
Post-Implementation Audits Not Widely Practiced, Despite Benefits
Implementing a new system can be a risky endeavor, and once implementation is complete it is tempting to spike the football and move on to the next project. But implementation is just the start of another phase in the system development life cycle: the post-implementation stage.
March, 2018
-
Post-Implementation Audits Adoption and Best Practices
Implementing a new software system can be a risky endeavor. The project team might rightly celebrate after the implementation is complete, but it should be just the start of another phase of the system development life cycle: the post-implementation stage. A post-implementation audit should be conducted to determine what benefits have been achieved, what lessons can be learned, and what corrective actions should be taken to ensure maximum success with the new system. In this report, we look at adoption trends for post-implementation audits by organization size and sector. We also discuss best practices in conducting post-implementation audits. (15 pp., 6 fig.) [Research Byte]
March, 2018
-
Putting AI and Machine Learning into Planning
Planning cycles tend to be too long, and companies struggle to change plans in response to real-time events. At the recent Anaplan Hub Conference, Anaplan CEO Frank Calderoni, laid out a solution to the problem of obsolete plans in the face of changing conditions—kill planning. “Planning as we know it is dead,” Calderoni declared.
March, 2018
-
Help Desk Staff Level Inching Up
Conflicting pressures have resulted in a small increase in the percentage of the IT staff devoted to help desk personnel, but the increase is only part of the story as IT leaders struggle with just exactly how to staff the day-to-day face of the organization. In this Research Byte, we review the trend in help desk staff as a percentage of the IT staff.
March, 2018
-
Help Desk Staffing Ratios 2018
The help desk not only plays a key role in maintaining user productivity, it also serves as the day-to-day face of the IT organization. This report provides staffing benchmarks for this important function. We look at the trend in help desk staffing over a five-year period and provide four benchmarks by organization size and sector: help desk staff as a percentage of the IT staff, users per help desk staff member, applications per help desk staff member, and first-call resolution rate. We also provide benchmarks for a combined help desk and desktop support staff. We conclude with recommendations on optimizing help desk staffing levels. (23 pp., 11 fig.) [Research Byte]
March, 2018
-
Among Enterprise Technologies, AI Showing Early Success
Early adopters of artificial intelligence (AI) are finding positive return on investment and cost certainty, according to our Technology Trends 2018 study. AI, along with the Internet of Things, is the newest technology to be added to the study, and it appears that despite current low adoption and investment rates, AI will have a growing role in business in the years to come.
March, 2018
-
Navigating the Minefield of Accounting for Software
For IT managers, understanding the rules around accounting for software costs can be difficult. As a result, IT leaders often simply defer to their accounting departments to decide how software costs should be treated but never fully understand the rationale behind the decisions.
March, 2018
-
Accounting for Software: Understanding CAPEX and OPEX
For IT managers, understanding the rules around accounting for software costs can be a confusing subject. This report provides a primer on the difference between capital expenditures (CAPEX) and operational expenditures (OPEX) and how they relate to accounting for software costs. We also outline how these principles vary according to the application development method that is used, whether a traditional waterfall approach or a newer process, such as agile development. Finally, we highlight the factors that drive business leaders to favor CAPEX or OPEX in accounting for software. (11 pp., 1 fig.) [Research Byte]
March, 2018
-
Application Maintenance Outsourcing on the Decline
The need to maintain enterprise applications is more critical than ever. The security risks of poorly maintained systems, as well as the fast-paced change of business processes, can strain an IT organization. To handle the application maintenance burden, many IT organizations see outsourcing as a way to get the job done. However, the percentage of IT organizations outsourcing at least some of their application maintenance chores declined in 2017.
February, 2018
-
Application Maintenance Outsourcing Trends and Customer Experience 2018
As the application portfolio of an enterprise grows, the need to maintain those systems increases and can become a burden on the IT organization. In response, many organizations see outsourcing as an attractive option, although the number of organizations using these services has declined. In this report, we analyze the percentage of organizations outsourcing application maintenance (frequency), the average amount of work outsourced (level), and the change in the amount of work being outsourced (trend). We also assess the customer experience by showing how many IT organizations successfully lower costs by outsourcing this function. (18 pp, 8 fig.) [Research Byte]
February, 2018
-
Zoho Looks to Challenge Bigger CRM Players with Bundled Apps
At its recent analyst day in Pleasanton, cloud software company Zoho announced impressive worldwide growth and a host of new products. But despite the growth, Zoho admits that headwinds remain for the 21-year-old company.
February, 2018
CE Report
Search results for "" ( 5626 )
