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IT Skills-Gap Widest in APJ: 10,000 Global IT Professionals Weigh-in on Mega-Trend Adoption Rates and Barriers

EMC-LogoNew Delhi, India, February 11, 2015: EMC Corporation today released the findings of a global study, surveying 10,451 IT business decision-makers across 33 countries. Conducted by Vanson Bourne, the survey gauged global sentiment about IT’s evolving role in organizations today.

The survey revealed increasing adoption of cloud computing globally, with the majority of respondents citing hybrid cloud as their preferred option for greater agility and security.

Respondents believe IT is a business enabler now more than ever before, yet spending is moving outside of its control. To help support business growth, a majority of respondents believe IT must act as an in-house broker of on-demand services. This pressure, combined with a widening IT skills gap, appears to be driving interest among IT professionals in pursuing a hybrid cloud infrastructure.

Critical findings from the survey include:

 Challenges and Drivers for Adoption 

  • While 71% of respondents worldwide (and 69% in APJ), favor a strategy for IT to serve as an in-house broker of on-demand services, survey data indicates a lack of confidence in IT’s own ability to help drive business growth
  • 35% of respondents worldwide believe that their organization doesn’t have the right level of skills and knowledge to achieve key business priorities. In APJ, this figure is highest of all, at 42%
  • 69% of respondents believe training IT staff to keep pace with the implications of mega-trends such as cloud, mobile, social and Big Data, will be a challenge for their organization over the next 1-2 years

Increasing Importance of Hybrid Cloud & Automation 

This has put the spotlight on automation and innovations such as hybrid cloud. Similar to global trends, APJ is also seeing the uptake in Hybrid Cloud technologies and automation.

  • Hybrid cloud adoption has grown 9% since 2013, with 27% uptake across the globe, the highest being the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region (28%), followed by APJ (24%) and Latin America (24%)
  • 64% of global respondents, and more than two-thirds in APJ (68%), expressed a need for a hybrid cloud due to the agility and security it provides
  • 74% of global respondents believe that increasing automation in their infrastructure is imperative to business growth 

Future of Cloud & Scepticism Towards Public 

  • Although organizations are moving increasingly online, only a small percentage (16% of respondents worldwide, and 11% in APJ) would be willing to outsource any application on a public cloud
  • The applications that most respondents would not be willing to put in the public cloud include financial planning (39%), human capital management (35%) and ERP (32%)
  • Developed markets with more advanced IT economies lead the charge for cloud adoption, while Emerging markets appear to be more risk averse with lower levels of cloud uptake overall
  • Emerging markets are, however, more positive about the IT department and hybrid cloud – 79% say they expect a competitive advantage from megatrends such as cloud, mobile, social, and Big Data (vs. 75% of developed countries) and 67% think combining public and private cloud will improve security and agility (vs. 60% of developed countries)

 Jeremy Burton, President, Products and Marketing, EMC Corporation, said, “Enterprise IT continues to be under massive pressure to improve quality of service while reducing cost. As a result, companies are moving toward more advanced levels of IT infrastructure driven by innovation such as hybrid cloud.  We expect this uptake to continue in 2015 as companies look for agile, simple, and secure services.”

Josh Kahn, Senior Vice President, Global Solutions, EMC Corporation, said, “This survey shows that I.T. decisions makers around the globe are adopting a common vision for the future of I.T.  First, the vast majority believe technology will create a competitive advantage as more and more business moves online.  Second, there is a conviction that I.T. must become an in-house provider of on-demand services to truly enable the business.  And finally, that the best way to improve agility and security is to combine public and private clouds in IT service offerings.”

Rajesh Janey, President, India and SAARC EMC, said, It is no surprise that businesses in India believe that IT is a key strategic enabler for business growth and are keen to take advantage of next generation technologies – including hybrid cloud solutions – to give their companies a competitive advantage. SMAC technologies are collectively changing the way enterprises relate to their customers, interact with employees, and bring in products and services to market as is highlighted by the survey. It is clear, that in order to redefine their business, IT departments will need to continuously develop skillsets that will help them keep up with innovation. 

© Technuter.com News Service

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