Security, Skills Gap Concerns Dampen IT Outlook
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Security, Skills Gap Concerns Dampen IT Outlook
A sweeping report from CompTIA paints a bright future for IT spending and hiring but shows rising concerns about cyber-security among business and IT execs. -
Improving Business Conditions
62% of global execs said business conditions are improving, but in the United States, the number is even higher at 69%. -
Tech Spending Is Up
In the U.S, 15% of firms expect technology spending to increase by at least 10% while 74% anticipate it will increase by 1% to 9% in 2015. -
Top Business Priorities Identified
Reaching new customers (66%), reducing costs and overhead (54%), and improving staff productivity (48%) were among the top priorities identified in the U.S. for 2015. -
Growing Cyber-Security Threat
While 73% of U.S. executives said cyber-security threats are on the rise, 51% describe human error as a growing factor. -
Cause for Cyber-Security Concerns
37% of U.S. execs see the greater interconnectivity of devices, systems and users as a growing concern, while 33% view the increasing reliance on Internet-based applications as problematic. -
Additional Threat Factors
Some 31% of U.S. execs see the rise of social media as another threat to cyber-security while 34% are concerned by the greater availability of easy-to-use hacking tools. -
Human Error Matters
12% of U.S. execs said that human error plays a significantly more important role in security breaches while 47% said human error as a factor has not changed. -
Mind the Skills Gap
87% of U.S execs said that IT skills gaps exist in their organizations, resulting in lower staff productivity and shortfalls in innovation; 53% describe these skills gaps as somewhat extensive, but 35% describe them as small. -
Training and Certification Are Important
In the past 12 months, 94% of U.S. IT personnel took some sort of IT training, while 70% of U.S. executives said they expect certification to grow in importance over the next two years. -
Managing IT Functions Internally
In the U.S., 48% of respondents have an IT department with IT specialists, while 36% have IT staff but not as part of a dedicated department. -
Turning to Outside Firms for IT Help
30% of all U.S. organizations periodically use an outside firm for IT projects or work, while 10% regularly outsource IT functions through managed services. -
IT Function Management by Size
63% of large firms (those with more than 500 employees) have a formal IT department with dedicated IT specialists on staff, compared with 55% of midsize companies (with 100 to 499 employees). -
Smaller Firms Look to More Outside Support
Nearly four in 10 (or 39% of) small firms (with 100 to 499 people) have their own IT departments with dedicated specialists, while 17% regularly outsource their IT needs. -
Drivers of IT Solutions
54% of U.S. companies said they look to IT solutions and service providers for help repairing or troubleshooting IT problems, while 46% seek help with deployment, installation or integration. -
Other Solutions Drivers
Web design (39%), cyber-security matters (28%) and advisory services (33%) are additional reasons U.S. firms seek outside help. Telecom, cloud computing and mobile app development were viewed as lower-priority needs. -
Upcoming Technology Priorities
In the U.S., 54% of respondents said data storage/backup is the top priority for the next 12 months while 53% identify IT security as a top priority.
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Why Metrics Matter to the Channel New research from CompTIA sees business conditions improving in the United States and worldwide, increases in IT spending, an accelerating pace of innovation and expectations for new hiring. Plus, new strategies are taking shape in IT, relating to data storage and backup, updating old systems and software, and IT security, according to CompTIA. Yet the study reveals that many executives are concerned about cyber-security, based in part on the greater interconnectivity of devices, systems and users. "Attacks can be more dynamic, changing rapidly and targeting with greater efficiency," said Amy Carrado, CompTIA's director of research and market intelligence. "As organizations have embraced cloud computing and mobile technology solutions, they have extended the security perimeter, creating new security considerations. Legacy security systems and practices are often not sufficient to protect the expanded perimeter." The study also explores trends in technology adoption and employment, the use of outside IT help and impediments to cloud adoption—all of which could present opportunities for the channel.