InformationWeek Analytics New Research Shows Nearly a Third of Business Technology Professionals Have Fired an Outsourcing Partner in the Last 12 Months

SAN FRANCISCO, May 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- InformationWeek Analytics today announced the release of its latest IT outsourcing research report. InformationWeek Analytics provides IT decision-makers with real-world perspective based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative research, business and technology assessment and planning tools, and technology adoption best practices gleaned from experience. The report author, Mike Healey is the president of Yeoman Technology Group, an engineering and research firm focused on maximizing technology investments for organizations.

Research Summary:

Outsourcing is a key part of every modern IT group, but is still an area in need of improvement. Twenty-nine percent of the 530 business technology professionals in the InformationWeek Analytics 2010 Outsourcing Survey have fired a vendor within the last 12 months.  The growth of cloud computing, outsourcing of high-end skills, and dissatisfaction with the results in some conventional outsourcing segments all point to the need for better outsourcing management. In this report, we identify outsourcing trends and management practices among organizations using outsourced services.

Findings:  

• Nearly 6 of 10 IT shops outsource some critical function—management, engineering or development. However, nearly one-fourth keep executive and management functions in-house but look to outsource everything else.

• With end user support and development of customer-facing applications, more than half of survey respondents say outsourcing has delivered lower quality.  However, cloud computing and SaaS get more favorable reviews, with the majority saying it has delivered better quality and 44% planning to expand use.

• Only 17% say they directly monitor the performance and uptime of all of their cloud and SaaS applications. A quarter monitor only mission-critical items and 59% rely on their vendors to monitor themselves.

• Cloud computing extends vendor relationships further than ever for some companies, and customers must stretch their management practices to cover it. According to business technology professionals, unforeseen costs, communication problems, and lack of industry expertise are three leading concerns to evaluate before selecting a partner.  

For full access to the research data, download now:  http://analytics.informationweek.com/abstract/13/2893/Outsourcing-Services/it-outsourcing-survey-2010-better-management-required.html

"By far the largest block of poll respondents, 35%, came from companies with 10,000 or more employees," says Lorna Garey, Content Director of InformationWeek Analytics. "These are the people on the front lines of outsourcing, and they presumably have good-size IT staffs. And yet well more than half don't directly monitor the performance and uptime of their cloud applications. But relying solely on the vendor for SLA monitoring is like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse."

InformationWeek Analytics is a subscription-based service, offering peer-based technology research.  Its site currently houses more than 900 reports and briefs, and includes a dedicated area where technology professionals can access complete issues of InformationWeek Magazine.  More than one hundred new reports are slated for release in 2010.  InformationWeek Analytics members have access to:

• The full InformationWeek Analytics library of reports
• Peer based research and analysis to guide buying and implementing decisions
• Over 20 technology and IT business categories
• New reports launched every week
• Signature reports, such as the InformationWeek Salary Survey, InformationWeek 500 and the State of Security report

For more information on our membership programs please visit: http://analytics.informationweek.com/join

About InformationWeek Business Technology Network (http://www.informationweek.com/)

The InformationWeek Business Technology Network provides IT executives with unique analysis and tools that parallel their work flow—from defining and framing objectives through to the evaluation and recommendation of solutions. Anchored by InformationWeek, the multimedia powerhouse that looks across the enterprise, the network scales across the most critical technology categories with online properties like DarkReading.com (security), IntelligentEnterprise.com (application architecture), NetworkComputing.com (networking and communications) and PlugintotheCloud.com (cloud computing). The network also provides focused content for key IT targets, such as CIOs, developers, SMBs and IT Support Managers via InformationWeek Global CIO, Dr. Dobb's, InformationWeek SMB and HDI, as well as vital vertical industries with InformationWeek Financial Services, Government and Healthcare sites. Content is at the nucleus of our information distribution strategy—IT professionals turn to our experts and communities to stay informed, get advice and research technologies to make strategic business decisions.

About UBM TechWeb (http://www.techweb.ubm.com)

UBM TechWeb, the global leader in technology media and professional information, enables people and organizations to harness the transformative power of technology.  Through its core businesses – media solutions, marketing services, and professional information – UBM TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed brands, applications, and services in the technology market. More than 14.5 million business and technology professionals (CIOs, IT and IT Support managers, Web and digital professionals, software and game developers, government decision makers, and telecom providers) actively participate in UBM TechWeb's communities. UBM TechWeb brands include: global face-to-face events such as Interop, Game Developers Conference (GDC), Web 2.0, Black Hat, and VoiceCon; large-scale online networks such as InformationWeek, Light Reading, and Gamasutra; research, training, and certification services, including HDI, Pyramid Research, and InformationWeek Analytics; and market-leading magazines such as InformationWeek and Wall Street & Technology. UBM TechWeb is part of UBM, a global provider of media and information services for professional B2B communities and markets.

SOURCE UBM TechWeb

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