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Cross-Border Commerce, Digital Currencies, and the Future of Money
IT Vendor Governance the Key to Realizing Value from IT Supplier Relationships
An Innovator’s Story: Creating a Business for Lasting Success
Leveraging Service Providers to Manage Network Complexity
IT Spending as a Percentage of Revenue by Industry
IT Spending in the Insurance Industry
IT Spending in the Retail Industry
Featured Research
Cross-Border Commerce, Digital Currencies, and the Future of Money
August, 2022
Traditional payment systems are proving to be too slow to accommodate increasing levels of e-commerce and cross-border transactions. And demands for faster payment processing will only increase as commerce enters the omniverse. This Research Byte outlines the factors driving the need for speed in financial transactions. We examine the benefits and drawbacks of one kind of digital currency—cryptocurrencies—and what the future of money could look like. We conclude with recommendations for enterprises to understand and prepare for the future of money.IT Vendor Governance Best Practices
August, 2022
IT vendor management is a function and set of practices that guide the selection, management, and assessment of IT suppliers to ensure that all parties comply with the terms of their contracts. IT supplier management has been a best practice for many years, but the disciplines have evolved. Traditional IT vendor governance practices are now inadequate to navigate the changing ecosystem of vendors and complex business relationships. The upshot is that most organizations need to transform their vendor governance programs from reactive, control-oriented functions to programs that are proactive, strategic, and value-driven. (18 pp, 6 figs)[Research Byte]
[Full report available at no charge on the Avasant website]
Network Operations Outsourcing Trends and Customer Experience
July, 2022
Network operations is a mature but evolving outsourcing category with a wide assortment of top IT and telecom industry service providers competing with regional providers for market share. In addition, large equipment vendors are transforming their businesses beyond being manufacturing producers to delivering value-added network services. In doing so, they provide the network backbone to enterprise organizations as well as a growing variety of network services, including network design and planning, and even network support operations. (17pp, 7 figs)[Research Byte]
IT Spending and Staffing Benchmarks 2022/2023: Full Study
July, 2022
Our IT Spending and Staffing Benchmarks study for 2022/2023 provides a comprehensive view of the current state of IT budgeting and staffing levels for business and governmental organizations in the US and Canada, based on our 33nd annual survey. Detailed metrics are provided by organization size and by industry sector. From within this article, you can purchase all 32 chapters at a significant discount off the individual chapter price. Individual chapters are also available for purchase. Click the full study description for details. (2,056 pp., 1,181 figs.)[Full Study Description and Individual Chapter Pricing]
System Implementation/Integration Outsourcing Trends and Customer Experience
July, 2022
The outsourcing of system implementation/integration is on the rise. Our report examines adoption trends and customer experience with system implementation/integration outsourcing. We report on the percentage of organizations outsourcing it (frequency) and the average amount of work outsourced (level). We also present data on the cost and service experience and how these trends differ by organization size and sector. We conclude with guidelines to consider when outsourcing this function. (16 pp., 7 fig.)[Research Byte]
E-Commerce Adoption Trends and Customer Experience
May, 2022
E-commerce technology, while mature, is still evolving. This report provides an overview of e-commerce 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 also look at the ROI experience, TCO experience, and considered or planned uses for new e-commerce investment. We conclude with important principles to apply in planning and implementing e-commerce systems. (22 pp., 11 fig.)[Research Byte]
Supply Chain Management Adoption Trends and Customer Experience
May, 2022
Supply chain management has become a hot topic. From empty grocery shelves to cargo ships lined up at ports, the term “supply chain” is on everyone’s lips. This report quantifies the current adoption and investment trends for SCM technology, as well as the benefits driving companies to expand their implementations. We assess these trends by organization size and sector and look at the ROI and TCO experiences of organizations that have adopted SCM. We conclude with practical advice for those planning new investments in SCM.
Residual Value Forecast
May, 2022Our monthly Residual Value Forecast (RVF) report provides forecasts for the following categories of IT equipment: desktop computers, laptops, network equipment, printers, servers, storage devices, and other IT equipment. It also includes residual values for other non-IT equipment in the following categories: copiers, material handling equipment (forklifts), mail equipment, medical equipment, test equipment, and miscellaneous equipment such as manufacturing machinery and NC machines. Residual Value Forecasts are provided for five years for end-user, wholesale, and orderly liquidation values (OLV) prices.
For historical RVF reports, contact us.
Worldwide Technology Trends 2022
April, 2022
This major study provides insight into the customer experience and adoption rates for 14 technologies that are top-of-mind for IT leaders worldwide. The study also delves into the satisfaction level of the customer experience and the specific types of solutions under consideration. With this information business leaders are in a better position to assess the potential risks and rewards of each of these technologies. They also can gain insight into just how aggressively competitors and peers are making these investments. Looking forward, we also explore 19 future and early adopter technologies (146 pp., 105 figs.)[Full Description and Sample Pages]
[Research Byte]
IT Security Staffing Ratios
April, 2022
High-profile security attacks and the impact of remote work continue to put pressure on IT security staffing levels. In this report, we present the five-year trend in IT security staffing and provide benchmarks for understanding IT security staff head count. We also analyze IT security staffing in terms of the number of applications, users, and network devices. In addition, our analysis includes the influence of organization size and sector on staffing requirements. We conclude with recommendations for optimizing IT security staffing. (21 pp., 9 fig.)[Research Byte]
DevOps Engineer Staffing Ratios
April, 2022
DevOps is a natural extension of agile development into the deployment and operational phases of the system life cycle. It has been a way of life among modern, cloud-native software developers, and it is starting to become popular within enterprise IT organizations as well. This report provides metrics for benchmarking DevOps engineer staffing levels in the current environment. We provide four benchmarks by organization size and sector: DevOps engineering staff as a percentage of the IT staff, users per DevOps engineer, and applications per DevOps engineer. We conclude with recommendations on optimizing DevOps engineer staffing levels. (23 pp., 9 fig.)[Research Byte]
Data Management Staffing Ratios
April, 2022
The data explosion continues to drive an increase in data management staffing. Through the middle of the decade, data management staffing plateaued despite the fact that organizations of all sizes were making more use of data. However, data management head count recently has increased significantly. 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. (22 pp., 10 fig.)[Research Byte]
IT Outsourcing Statistics 2022
March, 2022
Outsourcing levels are growing as more organizations take advantage of the cost flexibility that service providers offer. IT leaders are expecting to increase their outsourcing budgets this year, and they expect to reap outsourcing benefits of streamlined processes and reduced operational costs. The study profiles outsourcing activity for 11 IT functions. 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. (105 pp., 91 figures.)[Full Report Description and Sample Pages]
[Research Byte]
Worldwide IT Spending and Staffing Outlook for 2022
March, 2022
Going into 2022, we seemed poised for a broad, strong recovery. IT budget increases were large. Staffing levels were increasing. And growth could be found across nearly all sectors. Although there are fears of rising inflation and global conflict, our annual study of the IT spending outlook finds that IT leaders worldwide still have a positive outlook on the year ahead. This year, our report assesses IT operational and capital spending plans for 2022, priorities for IT spending and investment, and plans for hiring, outsourcing, and pay raises for IT organizations worldwide. (25 pp., 15 fig.)[Research Byte]
IT Management Best Practices 2022
March, 2022
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 33 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 application development practices. (196 pp., 178 figs.)[Full Report Description and Sample Pages]
[Research Byte]
IT Quality Assurance Staffing Ratios
February, 2022
Staffing levels for IT quality assurance personnel have been relatively steady over the past five years for several reasons, including the new ways in which software is being developed and the varying needs of industry sectors. In this report, we first evaluate recent changes in IT QA staffing levels. We then provide three benchmarks by organization size and by sector: QA staff as a percentage of the IT staff, QA staff as a percentage of the Application Group, and applications per QA staff member. We conclude with recommendations for improving the effectiveness of the QA function.[Research Byte]
IT Security, Cybersecurity, and Compliance Spending Benchmarks
February, 2022
Security and cybersecurity incidents are costly, with losses increasing every year. It is no wonder, then, that organizations continually rank security as a top priority for new spending. But how much are they spending? This report provides spending and staffing benchmarks by industry and organization size for IT security, cybersecurity, and related compliance. Benchmarks are calculated by number of users, organization revenue, and percentage of IT spending, as well as by number of network devices, locations, and endpoints. Security staffing is calculated as a percentage of the IT staff and also per user. Industry benchmarks are provided for business services, financial services, critical infrastructure, public sector, healthcare, manufacturing/distribution, and retail. There is also a breakdown for identity/access management, security policy/awareness, cybersecurity/incident response, threat and vulnerability management, data privacy/security, and governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) (33 pp., 20 figs.)[Research Byte] [Free Sample Pages]
Four Technology Trends for 2022—Putting People Back in the Picture
February, 2022
IT organizations everywhere have been tasked with leading the digital transformation. But that transformation seems pretty bleak—artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, robotic process automation, and blockchain. Where are the people in your digital transformation? When you look back on what you accomplished in 2022, will you be able to say you made things better for your customers? How about your users?
Virtual and Augmented Reality Adoption Trends
February, 2022
VR and AR are extending their reach into different industries and producing positive benefits for adopters. Even though adoption and investment rates are low, return on investment is promising, earning a moderate rating. This report quantifies the current adoption and investment trends for VR and AR technology, as well as the benefits driving companies to expand their VR and AR implementations. We assess these trends by organization size and sector and look at the ROI and TCO experiences of organizations that have adopted VR and AR. We conclude with practical advice for those planning new investments in VR and AR.[Research Byte]
SD-WAN Adoption Trends and Customer Experience
February, 2022
Software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN) has evolved from a technology designed to reduce costs and enhance operational efficiency to being a crucial element in business sustainability. It is a fundamental pillar for business and digital transformation. This study quantifies the current adoption and investment trends for SD-WAN as well as the benefits driving companies to expand their SD-WAN implementations. We assess these trends by organization size and sector. We also look at the ROI and TCO experiences of adopters along with current investment levels. We conclude with practical advice for planning new investments in SD-WAN and associated services. [Research Byte]
Desktop Support Staffing Ratios
January, 2022
When viewed as a percentage of the total IT staff, the percentage of desktop support personnel remains essentially unchanged. In this study, we use four metrics for benchmarking: desktop support staff as a percentage of the IT staff, PCs per desktop support staff member, applications per desktop support staff member, and users per support staff member. We also assess these ratios by organization size and sector. In addition, we provide benchmarks for the end-user support group, comprised of desktop support, help desk support, and IT training/documentation staff. We conclude with strategies for improving the efficiency of desktop support staff.[Research Byte]
IT Management and Administration Staffing Ratios
December, 2021
When it comes to IT managers, it is important to find the sweet spot. Too many, and the IT group can become top-heavy and bureaucratic; too few and IT staff members can feel unsupported and without direction. This report examines how many IT managers a well-run IT organization typically requires, along with staffing metrics for two related administrative functions: IT finance/vendor management and administrative support. To benchmark IT management, we use two metrics: IT managers as a percentage of the IT staff and users per IT manager. We provide metrics for small, midsize, and large organizations. To provide further perspective, we consider the five-year trend in IT managers as an average percentage of the IT staff.[Research Byte]
Network Support Staffing Ratios
December, 2021
Computer networks are more important than ever. Although the level of network support staffing has plateaued in previous years, there are signs of resurgence. This report will help IT managers determine whether their organization is keeping pace with improvements in network management by comparing their network support staffing ratios against industry benchmarks. We provide four benchmarks: network support staff as a percentage of the IT staff, network support staff as a percentage of the Network and Communications Group, network devices per network support staff member, and users per network support staff member. We provide benchmarks by organization size and sector and offer recommendations.[Research Byte]
RFID Adoption Trends and Customer Experience
December, 2021
Radio-frequency identification is gaining ground in certain industry sectors and applications where its benefits are clear. Although RFID may one day become even more widespread than barcodes, it will take longer than its advocates hope for. This report quantifies the current adoption and investment trends for RFID technology as well as the benefits driving companies to expand their RFID implementations. We assess these trends by organization size and sector and examine the ROI and TCO experiences of adopters. We conclude with practical advice for planning new investments in RFID technologies. IT Salary Report 2022
December, 2021
The Computer Economics IT Salary Report 2022 provides total compensation for 81 IT job functions for more than 400 US metro areas and 20 industry sectors. The executive summary also provides our forecast for pay raises and hiring in 2022 and includes job descriptions for each job function. 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. (36 pp., 7 figs., plus salary tables.)[Research Byte]
[Full Description and Free Executive Summary]
HCM Adoption Trends and Customer Experience
November, 2021
Human capital management (HCM) systems are becoming increasingly essential as business leaders recognize that success depends on recruiting and retaining the best people. But while the adoption rate for HCM systems is high, there are challenges in deploying them. 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 as well as the ROI and TCO experiences of adopters. We conclude with practical advice for planning new investments in HCM systems.[Research Byte]
Server Support Staffing Ratios
November, 2021
Although the demand for server support personnel has declined since 2012, in recent years there have been small increases, indicating a flattening of the staffing ratio. How many server support staff members does an organization need today? 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 metrics. We conclude with recommendations for improving server support productivity.
[Research Byte]
IT Security Technology Adoption Trends and Customer Experience
November, 2021
Organizations in all industries and of all sizes need IT security technology, and with threats on the rise the investment rate is the highest of any category of technology that we track. However, return on investment is not as rosy, with security technology earning a moderate rating for ROI. This report examines adoption trends for IT security technology of all types, from basic capabilities such as firewalls and spam filtering to more advanced tools such as incident detection. We analyze the adoption rate, investment rate, and economic experience for security technology overall. We conclude with recommendations for ensuring the success of IT security technology investments. [Research Byte]
Web/E-Commerce Staffing Ratios
November, 2021
Web/e-commerce support personnel play a critical role in organizations, and that has become even more clear in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this report, we provide benchmarks for staffing functions related to web and e-commerce development and operations. We benchmark web staffing with two ratios: web/e-commerce staff as a percentage of the IT staff and users per web/e-commerce staff member. Benchmarks are provided by organization size. We also assess the influence of sector on web/e-commerce staffing.[Research Byte]
Business Analyst Staffing Ratios
November, 2021
Business analysts as a percentage of the IT staff has risen from its previous decline, and we expect that this will be the trend. The business analyst serves as a bridge between the IT organization and business users. It is a multifaceted role that is important for ensuring that IT application systems meet business objectives. In this study, we assess staffing levels for the business analysts using four metrics: business analysts as a percentage of the IT staff, business analysts as a percentage of the delivery group, applications per business analyst, and users per business analyst. We also present ratios by organization size and sector.[Research Byte]
Business and Data Analytics Adoption Trends and Customer Experience
November, 2021
IT organizations continue to devour data at unprecedented rates, and adoption and investment in business and data analytics tools are reaching new highs. But there are some headwinds that could slow that growth. This report examines adoption and investment trends for business and data analytics of all types, providing insight into how many organizations have the technology in place, how many are implementing it, and how many are expanding investments in new capabilities. To give additional insight, we look at the ROI and TCO experience of those that have adopted the technology. Finally, we recommend steps for a successful implementation.[Research Byte]
Help Desk Staffing Ratios
October, 2021
The help desk not only plays a key role in maintaining user productivity, but it also serves as the day-to-day face of the IT organization. This report provides staffing benchmarks for the help desk (service desk). We look at the trend in help desk staffing over a five-year period and provide five benchmarks by organization size and sector: help desk staff as a percentage of the IT staff, users per help desk staff member, applications per help desk staff member, first-call resolution rate, and help desk tickets per end-user support 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.[Research Byte]
Database Administration Staffing Ratios
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As enterprises collect more data and connect more applications, they must ensure that data is secure, reliable, and accessible. But despite these increased demands, companies are restraining the growth in their database administration staff. This report helps IT managers determine whether they are keeping pace with industry standards by providing four benchmarks: database administrators (DBAs) as a percentage of the IT staff, DBAs as a percentage of the Data Center Group, users per DBA, and business applications per DBA. We present benchmarks for small, midsize, and large organizations and examine the influence by sector on these benchmarks. We conclude with best practices for optimizing DBA staffing.[Research Byte]
Application Development Outsourcing Trends and Customer Experience
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The outsourcing of the application development function grew a noticeable amount in our annual IT Outsourcing Statistics study after two years being stuck at a lower percentage. Why the uptick? For starters, there is much going on in the application development universe. This report examines adoption trends and customer experience with application development outsourcing. We report on the percentage of organizations outsourcing it (frequency), the average amount of work outsourced (level), and the change in the amount of work being outsourced (trend). We also present data on the cost and service experience and on how these trends differ by organization size and sector. We conclude with guidelines to consider when outsourcing application development.[Research Byte]