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IT Management Best Practices 2017/2018
The best-run IT organizations not only focus their process improvement efforts on those of other departments, they also seek to optimize their own IT management processes internally. In this study, we examine the growth and maturity of 32 IT management practices which we have grouped into five major categories: IT governance practices, IT financial management practices, IT operational management practices, IT security and risk management practices, and software development practices. (186 pp., 168 figs.) [Full Report Description and Sample Pages] [Research Byte]
September, 2017
CRM Adoption Trends and Customer Experience 2017
Customer relationship management (CRM) systems have become one of the most widely adopted categories of enterprise applications, and investment continues to grow. This report provides an overview of key concepts and vendors in the CRM space. We then examine CRM adoption and investment trends, providing data on how many organizations have the technology in place, how many are in the process of implementing it, and how many are expanding implementations. We also look at the return on investment experience, total cost of ownership experience, and which type of applications are the most popular. We conclude with recommendations to ensure CRM implementation success and widespread adoption. (17pp., 9 fig.) [Research Byte]
September, 2017
IT Security Outsourcing Rises with the Tide of Breaches
Let’s face it. IT security is a mess. If that wasn’t obvious from years of high-profile breaches, the recent Equifax tsunami certainly sealed the deal. The only good news on the cybercrime front is that IT managers are asking for help: 47% of IT organizations surveyed in our annual IT Outsourcing Statistics study are increasing their use of outside security services. And all signs point to this as a long-term trend.
September, 2017
IT Security Outsourcing Trends and Customer Experience 2017
IT security is a critical area for IT managers, who face increasingly varied threats. The response to these threats has been to bring in some help: 45% of IT organizations are increasing the amount of IT security work that they outsource. In light of the new realities, this report is designed to help IT executives compare their outsourcing activity and experience with other IT organizations. We use three metrics to measure IT security outsourcing activity: how many organizations outsource IT security (frequency), how much of the workload is typically outsourced (level), and the change in the amount of work outsourced (trend). We also measure the cost and service experience of organizations that outsource this function, and determine how outsourcing activity and experience vary by organization size and sector. (17pp., 8 fig.) [Research Byte]
September, 2017
Cost, Satisfaction Constraining CRM Success
Adoption of customer relations management (CRM) systems is high, but the outcomes of CRM implementations certainly could be better. CRM systems are designed to be the source of all customer knowledge within the organization. They should facilitate sales, marketing, forecasting, business intelligence, social media, and internal collaboration. They should be a vital tool for maximizing the success of any company. However, despite their import, maturity, and high adoption rate, there is room for growth.
September, 2017
Building the Automation Roadmap: Lessons Learned and Success Strategies
Automation has rapidly gone from a hyped up magical tool to a real solution that can enable an organizations transformation to a digital operating model. Organizations have taken different paths to embed Automation and RPA into their operational DNA, but there are a few common threads that ensure successful enterprise-wide deployment and alignment with the overall digital strategy. This panel of experts who have implemented Automation across their organization share lessons learned and success strategies leveraged during their Automation journeys.
September, 2017
Network Operations Outsourcing Poised to Grow
Network operations outsourcing is still one of the least-frequently outsourced functions that we track in our annual IT Outsourcing Statistics study. However, that may change soon. Very good service success and decent cost success, along with the increased complexity of networks, has more organizations looking hard at outsourcing some or all of their network operations.
September, 2017
Network Operations Outsourcing Trends and Customer Experience 2017
Network operations is a mature but evolving outsourcing category with a wide assortment of top IT and telecom industry service providers competing with regional providers for market share. This study examines adoption trends in the outsourcing of network operations. We report on the percentage of organizations outsourcing network operations (frequency), the average amount of work outsourced (level), and the change in the amount of work being outsourced (trend and volatility). We also present the cost- and service-success ratings, which provide insight into the potential risks and rewards IT organizations take in turning to outside service providers. (16 pp., 8 fig.) [Research Byte]
September, 2017
Desktop Support Outsourcing on the Rebound
Although the outsourcing of desktop support by IT organizations rose at the beginning of the economic recovery, it dropped significantly last year. This year, we’re seeing a slight rebound. However, given the strong economic experience of desktop support outsourcing, it is surprising that the rate of outsourcing still remains well below recent historical levels.
September, 2017
Desktop Support Outsourcing Trends and Customer Experience 2017
Customer satisfaction with desktop support outsourcing appears to be rising, while the use of these services has not. This report examines adoption trends and customer experience with desktop support outsourcing. We report on the percentage of organizations that outsource (frequency), the average amount of work outsourced (level), and the change in the amount of work being outsourced (trend). We also present success rates for the customer’s cost and service experience, and show how use of these services differs by organization size and sector. We conclude with factors to consider when evaluating options for outsourcing this function. (17 pp., 8 fig.) [Research Byte]
September, 2017
IT Security Staffing Ratios 2017
IT security staffing has risen again this year in the wake of a continuing onslaught of high-profile ransomware attacks. For many IT organizations, this means it may be time to reassess the adequacy of their IT security staffing levels. In this report, we present data about the five-year trend in IT security staffing and provide four benchmarks: IT security staff members as a percentage of the IT staff, IT security specialists as a percentage of the Network and Communications Group, applications per IT security specialist, and network devices per IT security staff member. We also assess the influence of organization size and sector on staffing requirements. (22 pp., 10 fig.) [Research Byte]
August, 2017
Ranks of IT Security Professionals Rise Again
In the wake of high-profile cyberattacks, the number of IT security staff members as a percentage of the total IT staff has risen for the second year running. In this Research Byte we look at this trend over the past five years.
August, 2017
Desktop Virtualization Adoption Slow Despite High Satisfaction
Although adoption of desktop virtualization (VDI) is relatively low compared to other technologies, those organizations that have adopted it are very happy with their choice. This Research Byte analyzes the adoption and investment rates for VDI over the past four years.
August, 2017
Desktop Virtualization Adoption Trends and Customer Experience
Desktop virtualization is a mature business technology that is facing challenges from related technologies, which has caused the adoption rate to fluctuate in the past few years. This report provides an overview of key concepts and vendors in this space. We then examine desktop virtualization adoption and investment trends, providing data on how many organizations have the technology in place, how many are in the process of implementing it, and how many are expanding implementations. We also look at the return on investment experience, total cost of ownership experience, and which virtual desktop solutions are the most popular. (18 pp., 9 fig.)[Research Byte]
August, 2017
IT Outsourcing Statistics 2017/2018
This major study profiles outsourcing activity for 10 IT functions: application development, application maintenance, data center operations, database administration, desktop support, disaster recovery services, help desk services, IT security, network operations, and web/e-commerce systems. For each IT function, we measure the frequency and level of outsourcing. We also look at the current plans of IT organizations to increase or decrease the amount of work they outsource. We examine the customer experience to assess whether organizations are successfully lowering costs or improving service through outsourcing. Finally, we show the outsourcing frequency by sector for each function. (105 pp., 89 fig.) Full Report Description [Research Byte]
August, 2017