One in Three (31%) Are Investing Fewer Resources into Upgrades and New Technologies, But Most Are Staying the Course (59%) or Investing More Resources (10%)
Toronto, ON — It appears that the economic downturn is putting a strain on many IT departments across the country, with a new Ipsos Reid poll of business managers and executives conducted on behalf of Microsoft indicating that six in ten (62%) ‘agree’ (19% strongly/43% somewhat) that their IT staff is ‘expected to do more work with less resources’ as a result of the impact that the economy is having on their business. Just four in ten (38%) ‘disagree’ (9% strongly/29% somewhat) that this is the case.
Despite the fact that most (71%) ‘agree’ (25% strongly/46% somewhat) that their company ‘uses technology to help people drive resources and to keep the company competitive’, and that their number-one technology investment goal is to ‘help save money in the long run’ (77% ‘agree’, 28% strongly/49% somewhat), one in three (30%) says their priority to upgrade or invest in new technologies has changed, and that they’re investing fewer resources.
On the flipside, most (59%) business have not changed their priorities in this regard, and some (10%) are even investing more resources into technology and upgrades. Further, one half (48%) of respondents says their business will be looking at new technology and upgrades to help drive their business during the economic downturn, focusing on software plus services (44%), hardware (23%), software (21%) or some other (12%) type of technology or upgrade. Moreover, three quarters (74%) ‘agree’ (24% strongly/50% somewhat) that their company ‘is continuing to invest in tools to support and drive technology’.
Two in three (63%) managers and executives believe that their IT workers are ‘stretched to meet the business’ IT needs’. Despite this admission, eight in ten (82%) say their co-workers expect the same benefits of their company’s technology solutions as before the economic downturn.
Interestingly, IT workers in Quebec appear to be most likely to be stretched:
- Quebecers (84%) are by far the most likely to say their IT workers are stretched to meet their business’ IT needs, followed by those living in Atlantic Canada (59%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (59%), Alberta (58%), Ontario (56%) and British Columbia (52%).
- They are also the most likely (67%) to say that their IT staff is expected to do more work with less resources, followed by those living in Atlantic Canada (63%), Ontario (61%), Alberta (59%), British Columbia (57%) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (56%).
- Quebecers (72%) are least likely to say that their co-workers expect the same benefits of their company’s technology solutions as before the economic downturn. Those living in Ontario (82%), Atlantic Canada (86%), British Columbia (89%), Saskatchewan and Manitoba (90%) and Alberta (92%) are more likely.
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