Canadian companies increased their tech spending this year with the hopes of improving IT security and cutting overhead costs, according to a survey by non-profit tech organization Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA).
To achieve their goals, CompTIA said, businesses are “funneling resources into better security and more modern hardware and software.”
The technology organization queried business executives and IT managers in 10 countries about their department’s IT needs and IT investment plans. An inforgraphic released by CompTIA titled The State of Canadian Technology Adoption and the IT Workforce, presents a very interesting picture of differing IT expenditure focus of CEOs and CIOs.
For instance the top technology priorities of CIOs in Canada are:
- 56 per cent – IT security
- 46 per cent – Web presence/e-commerce
- 44 per cent – Update aging computers and software
The top thee business priorities of Canadian CEO are:
- 62 per cent – Reduce overhead cost
- 59 per cent – Reach new customers
- 55 per cent – Improve staff performance
“Although there’s not a lot of surprise here, it’s good to see security continues to be top of mind among CIOs,” wrote Shane Schick, editor of technology blog site expertIP in a recent post. “The fact 59 per cent of CEO want IT investments to help them reach new customers, meanwhile, reinforces the notion of an omni-channel strategy that uses unified communication to interact with customers in myriad ways.”
The infographic also identifies key strategies adopted by Canadian companies in reacting to the consumerization of IT.
The changing role of IT departments and the consumerization of technology had led a growing number of Canadian firms to outsource “at least parts of their IT workload,” according to CompTIA.
CompTIA found that:
- 61 per cent of Canadian firms depend on solutions or service providers for IT repairs, maintenance and trouble shooting
- 46 per cent of Canadian companies have a formal in-house IT department and dedicated IT staff
- 36 per cent of Canadian businesses rely on outside IT firms or tech consultants for specific projects
- 12 per cent regularly use outside IT firms or consultants through a managed services agreement
To view the complete infographic, click here