industry news
Third of IT leaders not getting
the support they need to
execute cloud properly, new
research finds
Confusing, biased or incorrect advice from suppliers
has resulted in failed or stalled cloud programmes
in 28 per cent of organisations, according to new
research from The Bunker. However, responsibility
for this must rest with the CIO – who in light of these
findings should review their due diligence when
choosing partners to make sure that they are getting
the full picture.
The research, which surveyed IT leaders in 100
mid-market and large UK organisations, found that
70 per cent had experienced some level of failure,
preventing them from achieving their business goals.
Sixty-seven per cent have sought advice from external
consultants and 61 per cent from their key suppliers.
Phil Bindley, CTO at The Bunker, said, ‘Our
research shows that most organisations are looking
to external sources for guidance on how to design,
deploy and integrate a range of services into a hybrid
infrastructure. However, too often the confidence in
these sources is misplaced. When you look at the
significance of technology to business success and
indeed growing regulatory demands on organisations
from sources like the General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR), this is a real weakness in strategy.’
Deploying a mixture of in-house and outsourced
IT infrastructure using the cloud is seen as the ideal
model for IT service delivery according to 55 per cent
of respondents in the research, so it is inevitable
that suppliers will form a key part of any future IT
delivery strategy. Taking a hybrid approach to IT is
the most effective way of getting the best return on
investment, but only if it is done carefully, working with
partners with the right skills and experience. Proper
due diligence on accreditations including information
security management (ISO 27001), business
continuity management (ISO 22301) and payment
security standards (PCI DSS v3.1), when appropriate,
as well as seeing evidence of migration and integration
experience are essential.
8
Wave of activity in key markets
boosts colocation take-up in q1
The major European markets of Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam and Paris
transacted a total of 19.4MW of IT power in Q1, well above the quarterly
five year take-up average of 15.8MW. This takes the total take-up for the
last two quarters to over 40MW, according to the latest data from CBRE.
The buzz of activity in Q1 can in part be attributed to strong
performances in London and especially Frankfurt, with the two
markets seeing 14.2MW of IT power sold between them in the quarter.
Continued demand from IT infrastructure firms as well as particularly
strong performances from a handful of operators has ensured a solid
start to the year.
Mitul Patel, associate director, data centre solutions at CBRE,
commented, ‘Q1 has given us a strong platform to build from and the key
now is continued consistency across the major markets as the year goes
on. There seems to be a buzz in the air which operators will clearly hope
translates into physical transactions.’
SURVEY REVEALS A MORE CREATIVE,
INFLUENTIAL CIO, BUT 65 PER CENT ARE
HINDERED BY TECH SKILLS SHORTAGE
More CIOs report directly to the CEO (34 per cent) than at any time in the past
decade, rising 10 per cent over last year, according to the 2016 Harvey Nash/
KPMG CIO Survey.
CIOs with a direct report to the CEO are also the happiest (87 per cent
report job fulfilment). The findings highlight how CIO priorities continue to shift,
revealing the CEO now focuses on IT projects that make money (almost two
thirds, 63 per cent), compared to save money (37 per cent).
However, the survey showed that despite being more creative and
increasing their influence, CIOs say they still are being hindered by the greatest
technology skills shortage since the Great Recession almost a decade ago.
Almost two thirds (65 per cent) of CIOs say they believe a lack of talent will
prevent their organisation from keeping up with the pace of change, a 10 per
cent increase in just 12 months.
‘Whilst the Harvey Nash/KPMG CIO Survey reveals the CIO is enjoying
unprecedented influence, it also shows the role is being stretched in many
directions,’ said Albert Ellis, CEO, Harvey Nash Group. ‘From grappling with
an increasing cyber security threat, to working with the board on innovation
and digital transformation, CIOs in 2016 are dealing with a more varied
range of challenges than ever before, many of which are far, far away from
traditional IT. Adaptability, influencing skills and an ability to keep a clear head
in uncertain times are becoming increasingly important business skills for
today’s CIO.’