You may already know this, but it's tough times for technology professionals today. A new survey shows just over 51 percent of IT field service professionals said that reduced business spending and few IT service job opportunities has hurt their bottom lines. Online technology talent marketplace OnForce has launched this new quarterly study that measures business confidence. Called the OnForce IT Field Services Confidence Index, the study shows that entrepreneurs in IT field services are pessimistic about the current economic situation. “These small businesses are on the front lines of the IT industry and are a great indicator of what’s really happening in IT,” said Peter Cannone, CEO of OnForce. “This new index adds a clear, quantitative measure that will give the industry a way to move beyond broad generalizations and anecdotes.” Here's a look at what they said, including the silver linings reveal an underlying optimism.
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While IT field service professionals are pessimistic about the economy, nearly 25 percent have seen an increase in business during these tough times.
Networking service professionals, in particular, seem to be faring well with 63 percent saying that downturns in the economy have either increased business or have had no impact at all.
“Talented IT entrepreneurs in networking are always in demand – especially if they carry vendor certifications like Cisco’s CCNA,” said Cannone. “Keeping current with the latest skills is essential. Whether it’s networking, Apple, VoIP, or mobile, having in-demand skills will maximize a service professional’s chances for business success no matter what the economic realities.”
It's not all bleak. In fact, 73 percent of those surveyed expect businesses to use more contractors and fewer full-time employees for IT work in the next six months.
Less than 10 percent expect to see increased hiring.
Networking and cloud computing services ranked number one among IT service professionals surveyed on where they expect to see increased demand in the next six months.
Mobile device services ranked second highest for IT service professionals – where service businesses expect to see greater interest in security services.
Networking services professionals have the most positive outlook for the next six months, with more than 36 percent expecting to see increased opportunities.
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