Disaster recovery outsourcing is a strategic consideration for all organizations. This study reports the percentage of organizations outsourcing disaster recovery capabilities (frequency), the scope of work outsourced (level), and the change in the amount of work being outsourced (trend). We also present data on the cost and service experiences of IT organizations that outsource disaster recovery, and we identify the business sectors most likely to outsource their disaster recovery operations. (17 pp. 8 fig.)

February, 2015

This study provides metrics for benchmarking help desk staffing levels in the current environment. We look at the trend in help desk staffing over a five-year period and provide two benchmarks by organization size: help desk staff as a percentage of the IT staff and users per help desk staff member. Because companies organize the end-user support function in different ways, we also provide benchmarks for a combined help desk and desktop support staff. We conclude with recommendations on optimizing help desk staffing levels. (16 pp. 7 fig.)

February, 2015

The frequency of help desk outsourcing has declined in this period of recovery, particularly among smaller organizations. One reason may be the decidedly mixed customer experience. This study examines adoption trends and customer experience with help desk outsourcing. We report on the percentage of organizations outsourcing help desk (frequency), the average amount of work outsourced (level), and the change in the amount of work being outsourced (trend). We also present success rates for the customers cost and service experience. Finally, we show how these trends differ by organization size and sector. (13 pp. 8 figs.)

January, 2015

Data management is a mission-critical function that crosses departmental borders and involves business intelligence, data warehousing, and data architecture, among other functions. This category of IT employees has been rising. As such, the number of IT staff members directly involved with data management requires ongoing assessment. In this study, we use four benchmarks to assess data management staffing levels: data management staff as a percentage of the IT staff, data management staff as a percentage of the application group, users per data management staff member, and applications per data management staff member. (16 pp. 10 figs.)

January, 2015

This special publication bundles the entire collection of our reports on IT staffing ratios. The IT functions covered include IT management, project management, help desk, desktop support, business analysts, server support, network administration, applications development, ERP support, database administration, data warehouse/business intelligence, IT quality assurance, IT security, and web/e-commerce. This special collection is a valuable source of information for IT executives interested in benchmarking their staffing levels with those of similar organizations. (235 pp. 104 figs.)

January, 2015

Market intelligence on current discounting practices for business equipment can be difficult obtain. As a result, buyers do not know whether a better deal can be negotiated. This updated report, based on our knowledge of recent deals, provides buyers with guidance concerning current discount structures on a variety of equipment. Categories include IT equipment (desktops, laptops, network equipment, printers, servers, and storage), office equipment (copiers, mail equipment), forklifts, medical equipment, test equipment, and miscellaneous equipment. Major vendors include IBM, HP, Dell, HP, Apple, and others. Includes a downloadable PDF workbook of more than 300 deals used in the report to calculate average discounts and soft cost statistics (14pp. 12 figs.).

January, 2015

Competitive pressures, globalization and increasingly complex offshore manufacturing relationships are spurring organizations to expand their supply chain management systems, which encompass a wide variety of technologies and capabilities. This report quantifies the current adoption and investment trends for SCM systems as well as the benefits driving companies to expand their SCM implementations. We assess these trends by organization size, sector and geography. We look at the ROI and TCO experience of those that have adopted SCM along with current investment per SCM user. We conclude with practical advice for those considering investment in SCM technology. (23 pp. 11 figs.)

January, 2015

IT financial management (ITFM) systems are taking on added importance as IT organizations navigate the transition to cloud applications and infrastructure. In this study, we examine ITFM adoption trends, customer experience, and the major providers of ITFM solutions. Our study indicates that ITFM systems are being consistently used by organizations of all sizes and in all industry sectors. While many are achieving excellent results by adopting ITFM, buyers should closely manage implementation to ensure economic returns are achieved. (15 pp. 7 figs.)

January, 2015

The business analyst serves as a bridge between the IT organization and the users he or she serves. It is a multifaceted function that is important for ensuring that IT application systems meet business objectives. In this study, we assess staffing levels for the business analyst using four metrics: business analysts as a percentage of the IT staff, business analysts as a percentage of the application group, applications per business analyst, and users per business analyst. We also present ratios by organization size and sector. (17 pp. 7 figs.)

January, 2015

The traditional VAR business has become more challenging with declining product margins, increasing competition, and lower-cost alternatives to proprietary products. These pressures and others are forcing many VARs to grow their businesses from product sales to more comprehensive solutions built on a richer set of services and recurring revenue models. In this report, we outline five strategies for making the transformation from VAR to solution provider. (12 pp. 7 figs.)

December, 2014

Recruiting, developing, and retaining the best people creates a sustainable, competitive advantage, and human capital management (HCM) systems can play an important role in achieving this advantage. This report quantifies the current adoption and investment trends for HCM technology as well as the benefits driving companies to expand their HCM implementations. We assess these trends by organization size, sector, and geography. We look at the ROI and TCO experiences of adopters along with current investment levels per employee. We conclude with practical advice for planning new investments in HCM systems. (19 pp. 11 figs.)

December, 2014

The Computer Economics 2015 IT Salary Report provides total compensation (base pay plus incentive pay) for 69 specific IT job functions for more than 400 U.S. metro areas. The executive summary also provides our forecast for pay raises and hiring in 2015 and includes job descriptions for each job function in this study. The salary tables are provided as a downloadable Microsoft Excel workbook, with total salaries reported at the 10th, 25th, 50th (median), 75th, and 90th percentiles. (28 pp. 5 figs. plus salary tables)

November, 2014

What is the outlook for IT spending and staffing in 2015? This annual report provides an early look at the economic trends that are shaping IT budgets heading into the new year to assist IT executives in preparing their spending plans. The study assesses IT spending plans for 2015, priorities for IT spending and investment, plans for hiring and outsourcing, and use of contractors and part-time workers. We also look at the forecast for pay raises for IT workers. (34 pp. 26 figs.)

October, 2014

As a percentage of the IT staff, the use of contingency workers has been falling back to more normal levels, thanks to the maturing recovery and greater willingness to bring on regular full-time employees. Nevertheless, the use of contractors among IT organizations remains an important and well-established strategy and one that many IT organizations employed aggressively during the post-recession period. This study helps IT decision-makers understand how organizations are balancing the use of contingency workers with full-time employees in the current environment.(13 pp. 5 figs.)

Server support personnel have been declining as a percentage of the typical IT staff. How many server support staff members does an organization need? To answer that question, we provide four key benchmarks: server support staff as a percentage of the IT staff, users per server support staff member, physical servers per server support staff member, and OS instances per server support staff member. We provide these metrics for small, midsize, and large organizations. We also assess how industry sector can influence server support staffing ratios. We conclude with recommendations for improving server support productivity. (16 pp. 7 figs.)

Much of the mission of the IT organization is to automate and improve business processes throughout the enterprise. But the IT organization itself also has its own need for process improvement and automation. The best-run IT organizations not only focus their process improvement efforts on those of other departments, they also seek to optimize their own IT management processes internally. In this study, we examine the growth and maturity of 30 IT management practices which we have grouped into five major categories: IT governance practices, IT financial management practices, IT operational management practices, IT security and risk management practices, and software development practices. (163 pp. 149 figs.)

October, 2014

The creation of project management offices (PMOs) has become a common practice among larger organizations. In this study, we examine the trend toward adoption of project management offices (PMOs), a best practice that has proved its worth. We present recent adoption trends, examine the influence of size and sector on adoption, and provide recommendations for how to measure the success of the PMO. (10 pp. 5 figs.)

September, 2014

Outsourcing the database administration function usually is undertaken to reduce costs, achieve better cost predictability, and improve the level of IT functionality. To help IT executives understand their options, this study examines adoption trends in database administration outsourcing. We report on the percentage of organizations outsourcing database administration (frequency), the average amount of work outsourced (level), and the change in the amount of work being outsourced (trend). We also present success rates for the customers cost and service experience. Finally, we show how these trends differ by organization size and sector. (16 pp. 8 figs.)

Desktop virtualization adoption continues to rise. This study provides an overview of key concepts and vendors in this space. We then examine desktop virtualization adoption and investment trends, providing data on how many organizations have the technology in place, how many are in the process of implementing it, and how many are expanding implementations. We present worldwide adoption and investment rates, adoption by organization size, and adoption in North America over time. We also look at the return on investment experience and total cost of ownership experience of adopters and report on how much they are budgeting per user for new and follow-on investments in virtual desktop solutions. (18 pp. 10 fig.)

This major study profiles outsourcing activity for 11 IT functions: application development, application hosting, application maintenance, data center operations, database administration, desktop support, disaster recovery services, help desk services, IT security, network operations, and web/e-commerce systems. For each IT function, we measure the frequency and level of outsourcing. We also look at the current plans of IT organizations to increase or decrease the amount of work they outsource. Finally, we examine the customer experience to assess whether organizations are successfully lowering costs or improving service through outsourcing. (115 pp. 100 figs.)

August, 2014

Not all ERP systems that are labeled cloud are the same. At the same time, vendors need to realize that not all ERP buyers are the same. The study provides an overview of ERP cloud vendors and describes the two major categories of buyers in this market: first-time buyers looking for their first ERP systems and established companies replacing their legacy systems. We also segment cloud ERP providers into two categories: cloud-only ERP providers and traditional vendors that have added cloud or hosting as deployment options. We conclude with recommendations for buyers and providers who seek to serve these markets. Two appendices provide our analysis of key ERP vendors in each category. (32 pp. 6 fig.)

June, 2014

Our 2014/2015 IT Spending and Staffing Benchmarks study provides a comprehensive view of the current state of IT budgeting and staffing levels for business and governmental organizations in the U.S. and Canada, based on our 24th annual survey. Detailed metrics are provided by organization size and by industry sector. This article allows purchase of all 26 chapters at a significant discount off the individual chapter price. Individual chapters are also available for purchase—click the Full Study Description below for details. (1,507 pp. 911 figs.)

May, 2014

A well-designed IT service catalog demonstrates the value of IT, defines service levels, facilitates budgeting, and aids in the evaluation of outsourcing services. Once an organization has decided to create a service catalog, however, the project can fall short of delivering on these promised benefits. This report lays out six steps for creating a well-designed service catalog, provides examples of the elements of a catalog, and concludes with advice on how to avoid typical pitfalls. (13 pp, 4 figs)

May, 2014

ERP systems have become the platform for integration of data, information, and applications in the well-managed enterprise today. This study helps IT executives understand how aggressively their peers are investing in ERP and the risks and rewards presented by those investments. We report worldwide adoption and investment rates by sector, organization size, and geography. We also measure customer experience in terms of the success rates for return on investment (ROI) and total cost of ownership (TCO). Finally, we assess ERP investment levels for new implementations and improvements to existing systems. We wrap up with our recommendations for improving the ROI of ERP installations. (15 pp. 11 fig.)

April, 2014

The IT service catalog is a foundational element of IT service management. Organizations looking to implement best practices in their delivery of IT services need to ensure that all stakeholders have a basic understanding of this important concept. This report explains the concepts of the IT service catalog and why it is an essential part of IT service management. It also provides practical recommendations for implementation of a service catalog. (13 pp. 2 fig.)

This study analyzes the market forces that are driving the increased popularity of CRM systems today. We show the three-year trend in CRM adoption and investment rates, with a breakdown by sector, organization size, and geography. We also measure customer experience in terms of the success rates for return on investment (ROI) and total cost of ownership (TCO). Finally, we assess CRM investment levels for new implementations and improvements to existing systems. We wrap up with our recommendations for improving the ROI of CRM. (17 pp. 12 fig.)

This major study provides insight into the staying power of 15 technology initiatives that are top-of-mind for many companies. It provides a glimpse into how quickly an emerging technology is being adopted, how deeply more-established technologies are penetrating the market, and how positive the customer experience is with each technology. The study also delves into the specific types of solutions under consideration and the amount of money being budgeting for these initiatives. With this information business leaders are in a better position to assess the potential risks and rewards of each of these technology initiatives. They also can gain insight into just how aggressively competitors and peers are making these investments. (106 pp. 117 figs.)

Based on a recent Computer Economics survey, we find that organizations that have fully or largely migrated to the cloud save on average more than 15% in IT spending as a percentage of revenue. Savings come not only from a reduction in data center spending, but also from lower IT personnel costs. Because cloud-based systems reduce the effort needed for ongoing support, cloud users are able to devote a higher percentage of their IT spending to new initiatives. The cost savings, combined with strategic benefits in speed, scalability, and agility, argue in favor of organizations moving aggressively to the cloud. (12 pp. 4 Fig.)

Too often, disaster recovery is simply an information-technology-led exercise. There is a growing recognition, however, that contingency planning needs to go beyond recovery of IT systems to become a business-led process that prepares the organization for many forms of disruption and ensures that the business itselfnot just the IT systemswill continue uninterrupted. This report provides practical guidance on best practices for business continuity planning. (11 pp. 2 fig.)