INTELLIGENT SOFTWARE BUSINESS
Software training does
have returns
An IDC Red Hat study indicates that vendor driven training
does provide a measurable return on investment especially
for extended teams.
W
ith the accelerated pace
of technology, acquiring
and maintaining critical IT
team skills can require training. When
looking to invest in training, it can often
come down to two questions: what is the
business value of training and why should
IT team training be prioritised now?
Red Hat recently commissioned a
study with IDC to determine just that:
the business value of Red Hat training.
Red Hat training was shown to improve
IT operations and support business
requirements and new technologies,
with a 20% efficiency improvement
in infrastructure management. These
training courses are gaining increasing
recognition by C-suite executives and
IT teams alike. Organisations that use
Red Hat training experienced 71% less
unplanned downtime, 36% more efficient
help desk response time and a three-year
ROI of 389%.
Participants in the study included
managers at different large-scale
organisations, spanning multiple
industries and countries. The managers
were asked about the results of 44 courses
taken by 23 staff members on an annual
basis. Training included online, virtual and
classroom learning with hands-on training
and knowledge sharing.
The study explored the use cases for
Red Hat training and found that both
initial IT team training and ongoing IT
skills training were important. Initial team
training provides the base skill sets that
can impact the overall success of a project.
Allotting 1.5% of the project budget for
training improved project success rate
from 50% to 80%.
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In addition, given the rapid pace of
technology and business change, skill sets
degrade or are lost through attrition and
personnel changes. According to the IDC
study, 60% of an organisation’s capability
is lost in three years, and by year six, 75% of
original capability is lost. Ongoing training is
essential for skill adoption and replacement.
The study uncovered additional benefits
of Red Hat training experienced by
respondents as mentioned below:
IT operations and infrastructure
management: 20% efficiency
improvement for IT administrators and
71% less time lost due to unplanned
system and application outages.
Troubleshooting and help desk
efficiency: 23% fewer help desk
calls,50% faster resolution of issues,
as well as fewer user interruptions and
36% less time spent by staff members
on supporting Red Hat environments.
IT support of business
requirements: 12% faster
development time for new features.
IDC estimates the
productivity and
cost reduction
benefits from Red
Hat training over a
three-year period
to be $53,422 per
year, per employee.
Findings and conclusions
The skill sets of IT project teams
impact the success of any given
project. Spending on training
constitutes an important part of
the overall IT budget. Given the
fast pace of technology change, IT
staff skills and performance often
degrade over time unless ongoing
training is provided.
IDC’s survey identified significant
benefits resulting from Red Hat
staff training. IDC projects that
each company will achieve annual
benefits worth an average of
$53,422 for every employee who
takes Red Hat Training courses over a
three-year period. The most significant
training benefits are for IT teams.
Survey results show that IT teams have
become significantly more efficient and
productive, and better able to support
rapidly changing technologies and
business requirements.
One of the key training benefits
identified was more efficient IT
infrastructure management. IT
administrators benefit from hands-on
knowledge transfer. Study participants
reported that their administrators
became an average of 20% more
Issue 12
INTELLIGENT TECH CHANNELS