Exploring the value of IT professionals through global end users’ attitudes and opinions about IT professionals and the business technology they support.

1. IT PRO VALUE SURVEY:
THE END USER’S PERSPECTIVE
S URV E Y CO NDUCTE D BY HARRI S P O LL
J ULY 2 0 1 5
E X P LO RI NG THE V ALUE O F I T P RO FE S S I O NALS
THRO UG H E ND US E RS ’ ATTI TUDE S AND
O P I NI O NS ABO UT I T P RO FE S S I O NALS AND THE
BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY THEY SUPPORT
(G LO BAL)

2. STUDY OVERVIEW
This survey was conducted online in Australia, Brazil, Germany,
Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States by Harris Poll on
behalf of SolarWinds from July 7-15, 2015 among 7,382 adults ages 18
and older, among whom 3,626 are employed but not as an IT
professional or executive.
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S C O P E AN D D E M O G R AP H I C S
© 2015 SOLARWINDS WORLDWIDE, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

3. KEY FINDINGS
• 70% of end users identify a type of technology (computer, software, smartphone
or tablet) as among the most important in their daily work life. More than half
(55%) say their computer, while a little more than one third (35%) say a
smartphone, one in four say software (24%) and 9% say a tablet is among the
most important in their daily work life.
• Only a little more than one third (37%) say personnel is among the most
important in their daily work life, with one in ten (11%) indicating administrative
assistants, 8% business operations managers and 6% each for project
managers and HR professionals.
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E N D U S E R S P L AC E G R E ATE R I M P O R TAN C E O N TH E
TE C H N O L O G Y S U P P O R TE D B Y I T P R O F E S S I O N AL S I N
TH E W O R K P L AC E — S U C H AS S M AR T P H O N E S ,
TAB L E T S , C O M P U TE R S AN D S O F TWAR E — T H A N TH E Y
D O O N P E R S O N N E L
© 2015 SOLARWINDS WORLDWIDE, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Question: Which of the following would you say are the most important in your daily work life? Please select up to three items.
• Computer
• Smartphone
• Tablet
• Software (e.g., email, CRM, word processing
and spreadsheet applications)
• IT professional(s)
• Administrative assistant
• CEO
• HR professional(s)
• Legal department
• Procurement department
• Project manager
• Business operations manager
• Other

4. KEY FINDINGS
• Nearly three fourths (70%) say it would take them more time to complete a
typical day’s worth of work without the use of the technology typically maintained
by the IT department or professionals employed by the company in which they
work, with 32% saying one day’s work would take an additional business day or
longer. 13% of employees say it would not be possible to carry out their daily
work without the technology supported by IT professionals.
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A M AJ O R I TY O F E N D U S E R S I N D I C AT E W O R K
P R O D U C TI V I TY I S L O S T W I TH O U T TH E TE C H N O L O G Y
S U P P O R TE D B Y I T P R O F E S S I O N AL S
© 2015 SOLARWINDS WORLDWIDE, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Question: How much more time, if any, would it take you to complete a typical day’s worth of work without the use of the technology that is
typically maintained by IT professionals (e.g., computers, software and telephone systems)?
• An hour or less
• More than an hour, but less than a business
day
• One business day
• More than one business day, but less than a
business week
• A business week
• More than one business week
• It would not be possible to carry out my daily
work without the technology supported by IT
professionals.
• No additional time
• Not applicable

5. KEY FINDINGS
• More than three in five (64%) agree that their company’s IT department going on
vacation for a month would have a greater impact on their daily work life than if
their company’s executive leadership did.
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M O S T E N D U S E R S AG R E E TH AT I T H AS A G R E ATE R
I M PAC T O N TH E I R D AI LY W O R K L I V E S TH AN TH E C -
S U I TE
© 2015 SOLARWINDS WORLDWIDE, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Question: How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
My company’s IT department going on vacation for a month would have a greater impact on my daily work life than if my company’s executive
leadership (e.g., CEO, CFO, CMO) did.
• Strongly disagree
• Somewhat disagree
• Somewhat agree
• Strongly agree
• Not applicable

6. KEY FINDINGS
• More than half (56%) of end users say they do not understand or understand
only a little about the role IT professionals employed by their company, beyond
helping them as an end user resolve their technology issues.
• Nearly all (89%) of those who work for a company that employs IT professionals
say they ask for technical help/support from their IT professionals. More than
half (53%) ask for help/support from IT professionals monthly or more frequently.
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W H I L E TH E R O L E O F TH E I T P R O F E S S I O N AL I N I TS
E N TI R E TY I S N O T ALWAY S W E L L U N D E R S TO O D B Y
E N D U S E R S , TH E Y K N O W W H O TO C AL L O N W H E N
TH E Y H AV E A TE C H N O L O G Y P R O B L E M
© 2015 SOLARWINDS WORLDWIDE, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Question: How well, if at all, do you understand the role of IT professionals beyond helping you as an end user resolve your technology issues?
• I do not understand at all
• I understand a little
• I understand a lot
• I understand very well
Question: On average, how often, if ever, do you ask for technical help or other forms of support from IT professionals at work?
• Multiple times a day
• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• A few times a year
• Once a year
• Less than once a year
• Never

7. The SolarWinds and SolarWinds & Design marks are the
exclusive property of SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC and its
affiliates, are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office, and may be registered or pending registration in other
countries. All other SolarWinds trademarks, service marks,
and logos may be common law marks, registered or pending
registration in the United States or in other countries. All
other trademarks mentioned herein are used for identification
purposes only and may be or are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective companies.
© 2015 SOLARWINDS WORLDWIDE, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.