You know a problem is real when it effects businesses of all sizes, in all locations and requires a similar response from everyone. The new digital economy has uncovered a ‘tech deficit’ which fits neatly into these categories. The compelling statistics in a new report make for interesting, if uncomfortable reading for many IT decision makers.
Colt commissioned this research report to help identify the scale and nature of this deficit. The report charts the origins and growth of the problem stemming from the constant pressure faced by businesses in Europe to balance the demands of their customers against the operational and commercial realities of their internal infrastructure.
It raises alarm bells, but all problems come with opportunity- the report also identifies ways to respond to this challenge and points to a shift in approach that can have long term benefits for businesses of all sizes across Europe.
The Tech Deficit is the gap that has developed between businesses’ objectives and what their IT infrastructure can support. More is being asked of already creaking infrastructures-this would be okay if businesses were responding with increased investment and innovative thinking around technology deployment. This is not the case and a gap has emerged from static budgets and business approaches struggling to keep pace with additional demands being placed on existing infrastructure. As demand grows, so too does the gap. A considered, action-oriented response is needed or businesses across Europe can all expect some pain soon.
Key findings:
- 72% of European businesses face a Tech Deficit
- Only 26% of businesses think their current infrastructure is future ready
- The biggest tech deficits reside in network performance (40%), infrastructure performance (28%) and mobile access / device flexibility (27%)
This has implications across the board and affects IT, network, voice and data centre services. The problems run deep and whether you are a small or medium-sized business, serviced directly via providers or indirectly through the channel, a response is required to counteract a set of serious consequences which will only grow the longer they are left unattended. We are living in a new digital economy that comes with exciting opportunities but also requires fast decisions and swift action when addressing challenges. More than 8 in 10 businesses acknowledge they need to evolve their current technology infrastructure to meet business needs over the next two years. Do you?
A version of this article was previously published on our corporate blog – however, we thought that the implications of the Tech Deficit for SMEs were so important that we wanted to bring it to your attention on Engage as well.
Make Do
11 July 2014
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