NO MORE SERVERS SURVEY

Transcription

1 NO MORE SERVERS SURVEY November 2009 Angel Schneider Rackspace Hosting

2 2009 RACKSPACE NO MORE SERVERS SURVEY Key Findings November 2009 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this research was to gain global insight into the perceptions and awareness that businesses have about the management of servers. On behalf of Rackspace Hosting, LoudHouse was commissioned to develop this study to better understand what impact server management has on companies and their IT team s ability to innovate or use IT to enhance competitive edge. METHODOLOGY The methodology for the Rackspace research was conducted in September 2009 through online surveys. It involved 441 US and UK-based IT decisionmakers at companies with employees. There were 218 UK respondents and 223 from the US. A FEW RACKSPACE PERSPECTIVES The time and money that businesses currently spend managing on-premise servers could be better allocated to increasing strategic initiatives within the company. Since server management is both capital and time intensive, many businesses have limited resources to innovate. Fifty-one percent of companies stated they would love to never have to buy another server again. On site servers are causing stress for IT decision makers, with 24x7 availability (36%), hardware issues and maintenance (). and after hours issues (34%) highlighted as the main challenges. Forty-eight percent of IT decision makers would like to spend more time on strategic initiatives. Organizations are looking to relinquish control of their servers to free themselves from the hassle associated with management, with a desire to never have to buy another server again (51%) and a preference to outsource in the next 2-5 years (33%). On average 33 percent of companies expect to outsource their servers in the next 2-5 years.

3 1. In a typical month approximately what proportion (%) of your team's time is spent on the following? A. Troubleshooting server issues B. General server management C. Strategic, value added activities D. Other All 33% 14% 31% 36% 10% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Troubleshooting server issuses General server management Strategic/Value add activities Other 2. To what extent do the following represent challenges for IT within your organization at the moment? Board-level directives to reduce IT spending 23% 42% All 65% 68% 62% Improving flexibility 21% 45% 66% 68% 64% Supporting business growth and change 24% 41% 65% 65% 63% Hassle of managing servers 42% 58% 61% 55% Time to drive innovation 44% 61% 64% 58% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% Major challenge Moderate challenge

4 3. Which of the following are your biggest gripes with managing your servers physically on-site? Having to be available 24x7 36% Hardware issues and maintenance After-hours calls and issues 34% Cost of buying / maintaining servers Space and power 22% Difficulty in capacity planning Managing spikes in compatibility Server wastage / low utilization rates 14% Other 1% None of the above 19% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 4. Which of the following statements do you most agree with? A. I have bought too many servers, which has wasted money B. I have bought too few servers, which has meant a lack in capacity C. I always get my server capacity planning spot on All 15% 36% 49% 38% 45% Have bought too many servers / wasted money Have bought too few servers / lack in capacity Server capacity planning spot on 14% 33% 53% employees 14% 36% 50% employees 48% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

5 5. Do you expect to outsource your in-house servers over the next 2-5 years? ALL 44% 33% 22% 44% 37% 46% 30% 21% 24% Yes No Don t know 6. Which of the following best describes your company in terms of its approach to new technologies, such as on-demand computing? ALL 12% 29% 7% 23% Cutting edge / corporate innovator Proactive / slightly ahead of the curve Early adopter Cautious & reactive / corporate hoarder

6 7. Are any of the following holding you back from investing computing as a service encompassing hosting and cloud? Evidence of cost savings / ROI achieved 30% Assurances regarding reliability 29% 31% Assurances regarding security Example of real use by companies 21% 24% Transparent pricing structure 18% 20% 21% I don t know what cloud computing is 14% 18% 22% Information on benefits it can deliver Help in putting together a business case for the Board 11% 13% 15% 13% The hype surrounding it 10% Other 0% 1% 1% None of the above 18% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% All UK US