InformationWeek Analytics New Research Finds IT Pros Expect Public Cloud Services Will Have Limited Impact on Employment

However respondents expect traditional IT technical roles will be less in demand, replaced by "softer" but broader skills, such as provider contracting and management

PRNewswire-FirstCall
SAN FRANCISCO
Jun 25, 2010

InformationWeek Analytics, the leading service for peer-based IT research and analysis, today announced the release of its latest research report; A Hazy Outlook: Changing Role of IT as Services Ascend, including exclusive vendor preference data across five markets. Over 800 business technology professionals weigh in on the percentage of IT services delivered by the cloud in 24 months, predicted impact of cloud use on IT budget and predicted impact of cloud use on IT staffing levels.

Research Summary:

Cloud computing is still in its infancy, but the buzz from business executives, IT professionals and industry analysts is all about how it will change the way we work and do business. In this report, we analyze the results of our poll of 828 information technology pros, divided among strategic IT managers, tactical IT managers and IT staff at North American companies, to determine the current and anticipated impact of cloud computing on IT staffing levels, required job skills and specialties and to explain how to adapt to this new paradigm.

  Findings:

  --  39% of IT staff says their companies have no plans to use or evaluate
      public cloud services compared with just 12% of strategic IT
      management who say the same.
  --  The No. 1 type of service in use among respondents is SaaS, cited by
      55% of strategic IT management respondents.
  --  When asked how adoption of cloud services has affected their company's
      IT staffing levels, 66% say they've seen no change as yet.
  --  Data security is cited as the No. 1 IT role in respondents' companies
      that will see demand increase in the next 24 months, followed by
      vendor/service provider assessment and monitoring.

For full access to the research data, download now: http://analytics.informationweek.com/abstract/5/3435/Cloud-Computing/research- cloud-it-staffing.html

"One interesting perspective from poll respondents we spoke with is that for the first time, enterprise IT groups no longer hold monopoly status when it comes to providing IT services to their companies," said Lorna Garey, content director for InformationWeek Analytics. "Cloud providers represent some real competition. The question is, will CIOs and their teams rise to the challenge?"

InformationWeek Analytics is a subscription-based service, offering peer-based technology research. Its site currently houses more than 900 reports and briefs, and includes a dedicated area where technology professionals can access complete issues of InformationWeek Magazine. More than 100 new reports are slated for release in 2010. InformationWeek Analytics members have access to:

  --  The full InformationWeek Analytics library of reports
  --  Peer based research and analysis to guide buying and implementing
      decisions
  --  Over 20 technology and IT business categories
  --  New reports launched every week
  --  Signature reports, such as the InformationWeek Salary Survey,
      InformationWeek 500 and the State of Security report

For more information on our membership programs please visit: http://analytics.informationweek.com/join

About InformationWeek Business Technology Network (http://www.informationweek.com/)

The InformationWeek Business Technology Network provides IT executives with unique analysis and tools that parallel their work flow -- from defining and framing objectives through to the evaluation and recommendation of solutions. Anchored by InformationWeek, the multimedia powerhouse that looks across the enterprise, the network scales across the most critical technology categories with online properties like DarkReading.com (security), IntelligentEnterprise.com (application architecture), NetworkComputing.com (networking and communications) and PlugintotheCloud.com (cloud computing). The network also provides focused content for key IT targets, such as CIOs, developers, SMBs and IT Support Managers via InformationWeek Global CIO, Dr. Dobb's, InformationWeek SMB and HDI, as well as vital vertical industries with InformationWeek Financial Services, Government and Healthcare sites. Content is at the nucleus of our information distribution strategy -- IT professionals turn to our experts and communities to stay informed, get advice and research technologies to make strategic business decisions.

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  Contact:  Art Wittmann
             VP & Managing Director InformationWeek
             Analytics
            415-947-6361
            awittmann@techweb.com

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: sbalser@techweb.com

SOURCE: UBM TechWeb

CONTACT: Art Wittmann, VP & Managing Director InformationWeek Analytics,
+1-415-947-6361, awittmann@techweb.com

Web Site: http://www.techweb.ubm.com/