CIOs Point to a Software Defined Future for IT Platforms and IT Skills

LONDON, January 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

- IT leaders see SDx as vital to a service-defined transformation of enterprise IT 

- Move to 'programmable infrastructure' driving investment in business IT skills 

More than three quarters (83%) of CIOs and IT leaders worldwide plan to make software defined solutions part of their wider ICT strategies, a study carried out by Logicalis has found:

• Almost two thirds (61%) expect software-defined solutions (SDx) to impact their IT services and delivery strategies over the next three years
• A third (34%) expect that to happen in the next two years
• 10% expect to engage with SDx in the next 12 months.

Commenting on the findings, Mark Rogers, President and COO at Logicalis, said: "These findings are entirely in keeping with CIOs' priorities, as they strive to re-invent IT departments as service brokers and internal service providers.

"Innovations like Software Defined Networks (SDN) and Software Defined Data Centres (SDDC) have the potential to transform networks and data centres into dynamic service platforms - with policy driven programmability making it easier for the new breed of internal service providers to respond to business demand for agile IT whilst reducing the overhead and costs of managing ever more complex operating environments. This fly-by-wire transformation of core IT platforms is positioning software-defined technologies as something CIOs now have on their transformation agenda, and this survey may surprise many to the speed at which many CIOs see SDx becoming an investment priority."

New skills 

Alongside and in support of this intention to invest in software-defined solutions, CIOs are keen to recruit a new breed of business-orientated IT professional - with the skills required to translate business needs into policy frameworks that can support extensive IT automation:

• Just 34% of CIOs cite 'technical skills' as the top priority when recruiting IT staff
• The remaining two thirds instead look first at business skills like communication, service management and business analysis, which are top priorities for 28%, 15% and 12% of CIOs respectively.

What's more, two-thirds (65%) of CIOs are prepared to pay more for the skills required to make the most of SDx solutions - a quarter would pay 5-10% more, and a fifth (22%) would pay 10-20% more.

Rogers commented, "All of the CIOs surveyed in some way recognised the transfer of focus from technology management to business service delivery and that is now being reflected in the skills premium many are now expecting and willing to pay for more business aligned employees.  The CIO operating as an internal service provider will now be looking to invest in the business skills of existing people, and also have to take some hard decisions to replace outdated technology skills and people with those who can bring the skills needed to operate in a world where every more the business is driving technology choices."

About the research 

All figures are drawn from a survey of 177 CIOs and IT Directors from mid-market organisations across 24 countries spanning Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia-Pacific.

About Logicalis 

Logicalis is an international IT solutions and managed services provider with a breadth of knowledge and expertise in communications and collaboration; data centre and cloud services; and managed services.

Logicalis employs nearly 3,700 people worldwide, including highly trained service specialists who design, specify, deploy and manage complex ICT infrastructures to meet the needs of almost 6,000 corporate and public sector customers.  To achieve this, Logicalis maintains strong partnerships with technology leaders such as Cisco, HP, IBM, CA Technologies, NetApp, Microsoft, VMware and ServiceNow.

The Logicalis Group has annualised revenues of $1.6 billion, from operations in Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific, and is fast establishing itself as one of the leading IT and Communications solution integrators, specialising in the areas of advanced technologies and services.

The Logicalis Group is a division of Datatec Limited, listed on the Johannesburg and London AIM Stock Exchanges, with revenues of over $5 billion.

For more information, visit http://www.logicalis.com.