Optimal Mobility Over Maintenance

, Jan 20, 2014

Service-led transformation will free IT departments from the burden of day-to-day maintenance and management

An international survey conducted by Logicalis has found that CIOs are more willing than ever to put key IT infrastructure, from security to servers, in the hands of trusted partners.  They want a reshaped IT function to focus instead on strategic priorities like business analytics and mobility strategies.

The survey found even technologies once seen as in-house essentials are now considered ripe for outsourced management.  For instance, almost half of respondents (44%) would be prepared to put security in the hands of a trusted partner. 

A similar picture emerges across the board, as CIOs aim to streamline and optimise IT infrastructure:

• 68% would put managing their mobile environment in the hands of a trusted partner
• 59% would turn to a partner to manage storage and servers
• 52% would ask a partner to manage network services
• 46% would outsource management of network infrastructure.

Along with streamlining and optimising technology (63%), CIOs want to make better (31%) and more extensive (30%) use of managed services providers as they seek to reshape the IT function as a pseudo service provider focused on high-value, strategic activities.

The Logicalis survey also identified CIOs’ key priorities for this reshaped IT.  Forty-five percent want to focus on activities that ‘enable the business’ strategic goals – with business analytics (42%) and the mobile enterprise strategy (33%) emerging as the top priorities.

Commenting on the findings, Mark Starkey, Managing Director of Logicalis UK, said: “This survey shows that CIOs are increasingly seeing that embracing, integrating and managing a range of different external service providers is the best way to free up time and resources to meet their business colleagues’ ambitions for technology-led business transformation. 

“In parallel, CIOs will need to re-shape and re-skill parts of their operations to move from being the primary provider of all ICT technology, to the primary provider of ICT services.  It is a subtle but substantial change that will keep the CIO relevant and recognised as the head of a critical and compelling business function.”

About the research
All figures are drawn from a survey of 186 CIOs and IT Directors across 180 mid-market organisations in 24 countries spanning Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia-Pacific.

Research materials
• Report: Embracing a new IT reality? A global study of CIO pressures and priorities
• Infographic: Optimal survey takeaways

 

For more information about Logicalis, please visit www.uk.logicalis.com/about-us/

Media contact:
Zara May/Greg Halse
Cohesive Communications
01291 626200
logicalis@cohesive.uk.com

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