IT budgets and responsibilities shift as 40% of respondents note re-evaluating current and future priorities
BOULDER, COLO. (PRWEB) April 14, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has left IT organizations scrambling to source resources required to support a workforce that has shifted essentially overnight to operating remotely. Evaluator Group’s new study, “Enterprise IT Responds to COVID-19”, found that more than 40% of current IT projects are being re-evaluated and future priorities are being shifted as organizations focus on keeping the lights on. The full study is being provided for free to the public.
“The IT professionals we spoke to are currently doing everything they can to stand-up and support an at-home workforce. In the coming months, they will be reassessing project and spending priorities. However, we see now that there will be some long-term and permanent changes,” said John Webster, Senior Partner, Evaluator Group.
“Enterprise IT Responds to COVID-19” found that one in four respondents expected cuts in some IT areas but also increases in other areas. Security, data protection and public cloud services were noted as the top IT areas currently gaining attention and funding as a result of the pandemic.
“The sudden spike in everyone – IT staff included – needing to work remotely has created such a demand for public cloud services we’re hearing about providers having to ration what they can provide to customers,” said Krista Macomber, Evaluator Group Senior Analyst. “There is also a perfect storm of new security vulnerabilities created by a surge in remote connections, employees who are unused to working remotely, and bad actors that are getting all too creative in how they can take advantage of the situation.”
In addition to covering impacts to IT planning and project initiatives, Evaluator Group’s study found that only 3% of respondents expect permanent reductions to IT headcount, as internal staff are re-focused and re-trained and outside contractors are leveraged to address emerging priorities.
As organizations continue to grapple with the uncertainty of what the future holds, “Enterprise IT Responds to COVID-19” is designed to provide peer feedback that can help IT professionals navigate this complex and unprecedented situation. The study includes an incisive survey and a number of in-depth, follow-up interviews. Participants were IT professionals that represented a range of responsibility levels, from senior vice president to operational administrator, and industries, including telecommunications, financial services, healthcare, retail, public sector, entertainment and media, manufacturing, and education.
This 20-page study can be downloaded free of charge at the Evaluator Group website. To see how Evaluator Group can help your organization implement best practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, contact them here.
About Evaluator Group
Evaluator Group Inc., an Information Management and Data Storage analyst firm, has been covering information systems for over 20 years. IT Executives and Managers use Evaluator Group research daily to make informed decisions on architecting and purchasing systems that support their continuously evolving data requirements. We surpass the current technology analysis landscape by defining requirements and providing an in-depth knowledge of products as well as the intricacies that dictate successful long-term information delivery strategies.
Press Contact: For more information about Evaluator Group contact Nick Waterhouse at 303.221.7867 x1008 or Nick(at)evaluatorgroup(dot)com.
