IT Pros Survey: UK Reveals Top Tech Trends Impacting Roles
1. IT Pros Survey: UK
A look at the evolving role of IT, its drivers, needed skillsets,
and how IT pros view their roles within this “new IT” environment
Conducted by C White Consulting
November 2013
1
2. Study Overview: areas of discussion
» What are the top emerging technologies impacting/evolving
the role of IT?
» How much has increased infrastructure complexity changed
an IT pro’s roles/responsibilities within the past 3-5 years,
and how will it change the role into the next 3-5 years?
» Are IT pros both prepared and empowered to provide a
higher level of business value given these identified
emerging technologies and their definition of the “new IT”?
For the purposes of this study, “infrastructure complexity” is defined as the continuously growing,
increasingly complicated nature of the infrastructure due to new technologies (such as SDN,
virtualisation, etc.) as well as the ever-increasing responsibilities placed on IT professionals
from an IT operations perspective (by supporting new service offerings such as cloud,
mobility, etc.) and business operations perspective (such as compliance)
2
3. Demographics: breakdown of survey respondents
Company Size
(number of employees)
5%
35%
7%
14%
13%
15%
25-49 FTEs
50-99 FTEs
100-249 FTEs
250-499 FTEs
500-999 FTEs
1000-1499 FTEs
1500-4999 FTEs
5000+ FTEs
IT Pro’s Role
11%
37%
14%
3% 8%
Practitioner
Manager
Director
9%
IT Consultant
30%
Other IT-related
214 IT practitioners, managers and directors in the United Kingdom from small, mid-size and enterprise
companies participated in a November 2013 online survey
3
5. Top Emerging Technologies Evolving the Role of IT
Technology Advancement with Most Significant Business Impact in Last 3-5 Years
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
30%
31%
34%
27%
Compute virtualisation (server or desktop)
15%
Mobility
20%
30%
18%
Cloud computing
11%
Compliance
18%
17%
21%
50%
#1
#2
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Overall
Small Bus
Mid-Size Bus
9%
9%
6%
10%
Data analytics
8%
11%
6%
8%
Bring Your Own ___ (BYOx) (ie BYOD, BYOA, BYOT)
Enterprise
7%
11%
4%
7%
Other
Self-service automation
SDN/virtual networks
4%
4%
2%
4%
2%
0%
2%
3%
2%
2%
4%
2%
Nearly one-third of all IT pros surveyed indicate that compute virtualisation (server or desktop) is the
technology advancement that had the most significant impact on their business within the last 3-5
years, followed closely by mobility. By business size, small business IT pros and enterprise IT pros indicate
that cloud computing (rather than mobility) follows compute virtualisation.
Which technological advancement had the most significant impact on your
company within the last 3-5 years? [choose only one, provided “other” fill in
blank option as well]
5
6. Top Emerging Technologies Evolving the Role of IT
Emerging Technology That Is Most Disruptive to Business
0%
10%
20%
30%
27%
26%
Bring Your Own ___ (BYOx) (ie BYOD, BYOA, BYOT)
22%
22%
26%
24%
20%
Mobility
13%
11%
11%
15%
Cloud computing
Data analytics
10%
7%
8%
39%
50%
#1
#2
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Overall
Small Bus
Mid-Size Bus
Enterprise
10%
9%
9%
10%
Compliance
40%
Compute virtualisation (server or desktop)
Self-service automation
Other
SDN/virtual networks
2%
9%
7%
17%
13%
6%
4%
4%
9%
2%
4%
0%
2%
1%
2%
0%
2%
One-fourth of all IT pros surveyed indicate that Bring Your Own ___ (BYOx) – such as device (BYOD) or
application (BYOA) – is the emerging technology that is most disruptive to business (in terms of having the
most significant impact on business operations as well as IT time/energy spent). Mobility, cloud
computing, data analytics, and compliance round out the top 5 overall. By business size, BYOx and mobility tie
for the most disruptive emerging technology of small business IT pros, and compliance jumps to #3 on
that same small business list.
Which of the following emerging technologies is the most disruptive to your
business (in terms of having the most significant impact on business operations
as well as IT time/energy spent)? [choose only one, provided “other” fill in
6
blank option as well]
7. Top Emerging Technologies Evolving the Role of IT
Technology Investment Needed Today to Remain Competitive in Next 3-5 Years
0%
10%
20%
30%
26%
25%
25%
Cloud computing
24%
21%
23%
Mobility
11%
Compute virtualisation (server or desktop)
7%
9%
8%
7%
7%
Bring Your Own ___ (BYOx) (ie BYOD, BYOA, BYOT)
Other
SDN/virtual networks
32%
#1
#2
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Overall
Small Bus
Enterprise
19%
13%
7%
8%
5%
8%
Self-service automation
Compliance
32%
50%
Mid-Size Bus
14%
16%
17%
8%
Data analytics
40%
4%
0%
2%
6%
4%
0%
8%
3%
1%
0%
0%
3%
Just over one-fourth of all IT pros surveyed indicate that cloud computing is the most important technology for
their business to invest in today in order to remain competitive for the next 3-5 years. Just under one-fourth of
all IT pros surveyed indicate mobility is that technology. By business size, mid-size business IT pros feel even
stronger about both technologies, with 32% of mid-size IT pros selecting cloud computing and another 32%
selecting mobility as the most important technology for their business to invest in today to remain competitive.
In order to remain competitive for the NEXT 3-5 years, what is the most
important technology, IT service, or business operation for your company to
invest in today? [choose only one, provided “other” fill in blank option as well]
7
9. Infrastructure Complexity & Its Impact on IT Pros
Impact of Infrastructure Complexity on IT Role
in Last 3-5 Years (Overall)
0%
17%
0%
39%
44%
It has greatly affected my
role/responsibilities
10%
40%
It has somewhat affected
my role/responsibilities
It has not affected my
role/responsibilities
49%
Small Business IT Pros
Do not know
Mid-Size Business IT Pros
9% 0%
38%
53%
Enterprise IT Pros
8% 1%
42%
50%
Nearly 90% of IT professionals said infrastructure complexity has either somewhat affected or greatly affected
their role/responsibilities within the last 3-5 years. By business size, only 83% of small business IT pros feel
affected, much less than their mid-size and enterprise IT pro constituents. And slightly more mid-size IT pros
feel that infrastructure complexity has “greatly affected” their role/responsibilities compared with their small
business and enterprise IT pro counterparts.
Based on the definition of “infrastructure complexity” above, how much has
increased infrastructure complexity changed your IT role/responsibilities within
the last 3-5 years? [choose only one]
9
10. Infrastructure Complexity & Its Impact on IT Pros
Length of Time Technologies Have Been Managed by IT
0%
Compute virtualisation (server or desktop)
Mobility
Compliance
10%
6%
2%
4%
1%
20%
30%
SDN/virtual networks
Bring Your Own ___ (BYOx) (ie BYOD, BYOA, BYOT)
3%
3%
2%
2%
1%
90%
100%
50%
32%
33%
18%
16%
IT has managed 1-3yrs
23%
14%
12%
13%
IT has managed <1yr
27%
Managed in dept other than IT
23%
20%
18%
18%
Managed by MSP
Do not use
28%
17%
14%
22%
42%
14%
16%
36%
30%
14%
Self-service automation
80%
IT has managed >3yrs
8%
2%
70%
53%
4%
4%
4%
60%
9%
21%
Data analytics
50%
27%
8%
3%
Cloud computing
40%
22%
20%
4%
38%
Over half (53%) of all IT departments surveyed are currently managing ALL listed technologies. Compute
virtualisation, mobility and compliance have been managed by IT the longest, with at least one-third of IT
departments having managed each technology for over 3 years. One-fifth or less of IT departments have
managed self-service automation, Bring Your Own ___ (BYOx) and data analytics for less than one year.
Compliance and data analytics are each managed by an internal department other than IT
within slightly over 10% of all companies surveyed.
IT professionals are increasingly asked to take on additional responsibilities as
new technologies, IT service offerings, and business operations requirements
emerge. As a result of this increased infrastructure complexity, which
statement below best applies to each of the following technologies? [choose
10
one response per row, provided “other” fill in the blank option as well]
11. Infrastructure Complexity & Its Impact on IT Pros
IT Skills Becoming Automated within Next 3-5 Years
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
45%48%
45% 50%
48%
43%
Virtualisation
26%
Server management
Cloud or SaaS
34%
Data center
18%
Mobile apps/device management
18%
Database administration
Information security
Business analytics
9%
Network engineering
Project management
Programming/Development
43%
49%
44%
33%
25%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
#1
59%
#2
Overall
Small Bus
Mid-Size Bus
43%
29% 34%
30%
Enterprise
25%
23%
20%
28%
23%
17%
23%
25%
17%
23%
11% 17%
17% 21%
23%
13%
Technical support
Other
50%
14%
14%
16%
4%
6%
2%4%
3%
4%
2%
3%
1%
2%
2%
1%
Nearly half of all IT pros surveyed indicate that both virtualisation and server management are the top IT
skillsets that will become automated within the next 3-5 years, followed by cloud/SaaS. Over 96% of IT pros
agree that neither programming/dev nor project management will become automated within that same time
period. By business size, only small business IT pros deviate from the overall top 3 (though the order of the top
3 varies for enterprise) as cloud/SaaS moves ahead of virtualisation, and mobile apps/device management
replaces server management as more likely to become automated within the next 3-5 years.
Which IT skills will become automated within the next 3-5 years? [choose all
that apply, provided “other” fill in blank option as well]
11
12. Infrastructure Complexity & Its Impact on IT Pros
IT Skills in Higher Demand within Next 3-5 Years
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Cloud or SaaS
45%
60%
53%
51%
52%
54%
43%
Information security
34%
Mobile apps/device management
Virtualisation
Business analytics
23%
28%
Project management
Programming/Development
14%
46%
50%52%
44% 49%
48%
41%
38%
40%
43%
35%
45%
35%
70%
80%
90%
100%
#1
57%
59%
#2
Overall
Small Bus
Mid-Size Bus
Enterprise
25%
30%
26%
21%
26%
20%
18%
17%
25%
14%
15%
16%
8%
17%20%
14% 19%
20%
10%
11%
9% 11%
12%
Network engineering
Technical support
Data center
Database administration
Server management
Other
50%
2%4%
5%
4%
Slightly over 50% of all IT pros surveyed indicate that cloud/SaaS and information security are the top IT
skillsets that will be in higher demand within the next 3-5 years, followed by mobile apps/device management.
Over 86% of IT pros agree that data center, database administration, and server management will not be in
any higher demand over the next 3-5 years. By business size, both small business and mid-size IT pros also
include virtualisation within the top IT skills that will be in higher demand within the next 3-5 years.
Which IT skills will be in higher demand within the next 3-5 years? [choose all
that apply, provided “other” fill in blank option as well]
12
13. Infrastructure Complexity & Its Impact on IT Pros
IT Role Needing to Adapt The Most within Next 3-5 Years
0%
10%
20%
30%
36%
Information security
30%
11%
11%
Applications
Network
10%
9%
6%
Privacy
Data center
Systems
Server
Database administration
Firewall
Repair
Other
40%
4%
5%
8%
8%
40%
38%
#2
17%
21%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
#1
Overall
Small Bus
23%
Mid-Size Bus
10%
13%
14%
Enterprise
11%
6%
8%
9%
4%
5%
6%
2%
6%
3%
4%
0%
4%
1%
2%
2%
1%
1%
0%
2%
2%
1%
4%
2%
0%
Nearly 40% of all IT pros surveyed indicate that information security is the IT role that will need to adapt the
most to evolving technology within the next 3-5 years. By business size, at or near 40% of small business and
enterprise IT pros agree, while just under one-third of mid-size IT pros feel the same. A distant second overall
is the applications role, where 17% of all IT pros feel this role will need to adapt the most to evolving
technology. By business size, small business IT pros indicate the role of privacy as second behind information
security, while mid-size IT pros choose the network role for the second spot.
Which IT role will need to adapt the most to evolving technology within the next
3-5 years? [choose only one, provided “other” fill in blank option as well]
13
15. IT Pro Preparation & Empowerment for the “New IT”
IT Pro Confidence in Providing Guidance for
Strategic Business Decisions (Overall)
4% 0%
Small Business IT Pros
2% 0%
28%
70%
I am completely confident
Mid-Size Business IT Pros
0%
0%
29%
I am somewhat confident
32%
I am not confident at all
68%
Do not know
68%
Enterprise IT Pros
5%
1%
28%
66%
While 97% of all IT pros are some degree of confident that they could provide the guidance and expertise
necessary to help their company make informed, strategic business decisions with regard to emerging
technologies, less than one-third are completely confident in that same endeavor (regardless of business size).
With emerging technologies creating greater infrastructure complexity, the role
of the IT professional has become even more sophisticated. How confident are
you that you could provide the guidance and expertise necessary to help your
company make informed, strategic business decisions with regard to emerging
technologies? (for example, provide a business case (business value/impact)
15
for a new IT idea/project within your area of responsibility)? [choose only one]
16. IT Pro Preparation & Empowerment for the “New IT”
Opportunity for IT Pro to Provide Guidance
for Strategic Business Decisions (Overall)
Small Business IT Pros
13% 2%
44%
3%
41%
All the Time
17%
38%
Mid-Size Business IT Pros
13%
Occassionally
4%
39%
43%
Rarely
42%
Never
Enterprise IT Pros
20%
3%
35%
43%
Almost every IT pro (97%) is given the opportunity to provide the guidance and expertise necessary to help
their company make informed, strategic business decisions with regard to emerging technologies; however, the
majority (59%) only have the opportunity to do so “occasionally” or “rarely”. By business size, as company size
increases, the opportunity to provide guidance “all the time” decreases slightly.
How often are you given the opportunity to provide the guidance and expertise
necessary to help your company make informed, strategic business decisions
with regard to emerging technologies? (for example, provide a business case
(business value/impact) for a new IT idea/project within your area of
responsibility)? [choose only one]
16
17. IT Pro Preparation & Empowerment for the “New IT”
Additional Skills Needed by IT Pros in order to Feel More Empowered
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
49%
57%
I would need more training in my area(s) of responsibility
70%
#1
35%
50%
37%
I would need a better understanding of the business
90%
100%
Overall
Small Bus
Mid-Size Bus
#2
31%
33%
80%
Enterprise
41%
27%
28%
I do not need anything else - I am confident I could do so today
33%
24%
9%
I would need something else
4%
11%
10%
Sampling of Noteworthy Open-Ended Responses for “Need
Something Else”
Earlier Engagement in Business Planning Process: “better contacts
across the breadth of the business”, “I would need to understand the thinking
behind the business plan”, “long term strategic direction”, “clear, strategic
business objectives”, “better awareness of developments in areas outside
immediate area of responsibility”
Greater Management Support: “senior management confidence”, “bosses
that would trust our judgment rather than spend money on input”
Just under half of all IT pros surveyed indicate that they would need more training in their area(s) of
responsibility in order to feel more empowered to provide the guidance and expertise necessary to help their
business make informed, strategic decisions regarding emerging technologies. Almost 40% would need a better
understanding of the business, while 27% feel they need nothing else. As business size increases, so does the
percentage of IT pros needing a better understanding of the business. And for every small business IT pro that
needs a better understanding of the business, nearly two small business IT pros need more training.
What else would you need to feel empowered within your organization to
provide the guidance and expertise necessary to help your business make
informed, strategic decisions regarding emerging technologies? [choose all
17
that apply, provided “other” fill in blank option as well]
18. IT Pro Preparation & Empowerment for the “New IT”
How IT Pros Define the “New IT” Environment
0%
10%
17%
Adopting cloud/SaaS + virtual networks/SDN
7%
Broader partnership/better relationship with business
End user-driven, self-service automation
Never heard of term
Accessing info from any device, anywhere, anytime
Adopting cloud/SaaS + mobility
Increased agility/adaptability to innovation
Term means nothing/buzzword
20%
4%
30%
23%
#1
18%
#2
12%
11%
9%
14%
10%
10%
9%
5%
18%
17%
8%
9%
6%
7%
11%
8%
4%
5%
11%
8%
6%
16%
5%
6%
8%
5%
5%
Nearly one-fifth of all IT pros define the “New IT”
environment as adopting cloud/SaaS AND virtual
networks/SDN, while another 12% consider “New IT”
a broader partnership/better relationship
with business.
The “New IT” is a concept that is increasingly being discussed within the IT
industry, yet no standardized definition exists today. How would you
18
define the “new IT”? [fill in blank]
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Overall
Small Bus
Mid-Size Bus
Enterprise
Sampling of Noteworthy Open-Ended Responses for Top 3
Adopting cloud/SaaS + virtual networks/SDN: “being a strategic department
that can deliver and broker services. Using private and public cloud systems, and
virtualisation alongside traditional infrastructure”, “transition to IT as a
service”, “software as a service, infrastructure on demand”, “all infrastructure and
services will become cloud-based”, “increasingly cloud-based computing”, “… softwaredefined everything”, “cloud and virtualisation on a huge scale”, “virtualisation and
delivering services from the cloud”
Broader partnership/better relationship with business: “business-enabler
focused on delivering and reducing business capabilities in an agile manner that is
matched to the changing environment of the business”, “… understand business needs
and customer requirements … put simply, that is to use technical knowledge to advise
the business how to maintain competitive advantage through technology”, “will entail a
lot more high-level planning rather than getting involved in the fundamentals
anymore”, “greater intermesh of IT as a business enabler fully imbedded and informed
… to achieve the main business objectives of the enterprise”, “value-led”, “providing
the capabilities the organisation most needs in line with its most essential ways of
creating value”, “the skill to recognise that decisions should be business-driven, not
technology-driven … offer[ing] true added value”, “much, much more integrated into
the business”, “the ability to serve the business and be seen as a business
partner”, “more integral part of the business …”, “business-enabled IT”, “IT aligned to
the business”, “greater integration with business needs”
End user-driver, self-service automation: “invisible IT to the end-user –
intuitive, simple, affordable, and accessible”, “empowering users to self-manage and
the infrastructure to support this”, “users taking self-service ownership of data …”, “the
transition to self-service IT (ie IT delivery automation”, “user-specific IT – IT a la
carte”, “user-driven, demand-focused IT”, “consumerisation”, “… IT as a
utility”, “heterogeneous, mobile, self-administered, elastic”
Editor's Notes
BY BUSINESS SIZE:Small Business (50-249 FTEs): Just over half do not use SDN/virtual networks (51%) or self-service automation (55%). Same 3 (in differing order – mobility, compute virtualisation, compliance (and cloud computing)) as “overall results” have been managed by IT the longest. Same 2 (at much higher percentages – 26% compliance, 19% data analytics) as “overall” results managed by internal department other than IT.Mid-size Business (250-999 FTEs): Half or more do not use self-service automation (52%) or SDN/virtual networks (50%). Same 3 (in same order) as “overall results” have been managed by IT the longest. Same 2 (at similar percentages) as “overall” results managed by internal department other than IT.Enterprise (1K+ FTEs): Same 3 (in same order) as “overall results” have been managed by IT the longest. Same 2 (at similar percentages) as “overall” results managed by internal department other than IT. 13% use a managed service provider (MSP) for cloud computing.
Note: While cloud/SaaSand virtualisation both sit within the overall top 3-5 of both “skills that will become automated in next 3-5 years” and “skills that will be in higher demand within next 3-5 years”, this is not necessarily contradictory results. Less than half of respondents indicated that virtualization and cloud/SaaS (respectively) will become automated, while about the same number (for virtualisation) and slightly more than half for cloud/SaaS indicate the skill will be in higher demand. Ultimately, it seems to show that IT pros are split almost 50/50 as to what skillsets will be needed moving forward. In addition, by business size, more enterprise than mid-size than small business IT pros feel that virtualization will become automated while the reverse is true for virtualization being in higher demand (more small business than mid-size than enterprise IT pros believe this will be true).
Additional Open-Ended Responses (categorized – OVERALL, SB, MB, E):Bring Your Own ___ (BYOx) 1%, 0%, 5%, 1%Other (not categorized elsewhere) 12%, 13%, 18%, 9%Cannot yet define the term/do not yet know 4%, 4%, 7%, 4%Gibberish response 3%, 6%, 0%, 4%Additional Noteworthy Open-Ended Responses (OVERALL):Adopting cloud/SaaS + mobility: “more reliance on cloud services and expectation of mobility”, , “mobile technologies and the movement towards cloud computing and storage”, “the old IT plus cloud computing and mobile services”, “increasing use of mobile devices and cloud computing”, “mobile devices, the cloud and opportunities for data collection, combination and analysis”, “enabling the organisation to mobilise with minimal constraints whilst maintaining data integrity and security – anywhere”, “mobile application development and cloud computing”Accessing info from any device, anywhere, anytime: “any time any place anywhere with security and integrity”, “secure access to applications, data, systems anywhere”, “providing information to users when they want it, how they want it, where they want it regardless of technology”, “access 24/7”, “fast, secure, energy efficient, and available on-demand, any time, anywhere”, “a model where location and device is depreciated but it is all about apps accessible from anywhere”, “seamless integration enabling business functions to perform their operations irrespective of location and device without worrying about system security, privacy and capability”, “where everyone everywhere can access everything from anywhere and the roles of IT departments are to manage this access and secure this access and offer this access”, “giving users access to exactly the right information at exactly the right time exactly where they are”Increased agility/adaptability to innovation: “smaller, lighter and more agile”, “adapting to the changing environment”, “constantly evolving infrastructure … got to keep up”, “agile IT …”, “moving goalposts and ever-changing”, “flexible and agile, proactive rather than reactive”, “agile systems that are always available”, “ability to adapt changing infrastructure technologies and restrictions of budget and timescale for implementation”, “flexible, mobile, on-demand”, “making it EASIER”“Other” (not categorized elsewhere):“empowering IT”, “IT becomes a utility consumed by intelligent people with skills in other disciplines and distributed by a select few distribution companies”, “very fragmented world”, “Chief Juggler!”
