In the not so distant past, there was a common theme among companies trying to survive – cuts had to be made in IT. While it makes sense to control spending to maintain some level of profitability, certain limitations can hinder an organization’s ability to remain competitive. Fortunately, a number of indicators suggest IT spending and an increased use of cloud telephony has arrived.
In a recent InformationWeek
report, the
Society for Information Management was cited as a clear indicator of growing IT budgets. In fact, more than half of the CIOs surveyed (56 percent) said they planned to increased IT budgets for next year. Just 17 percent plan to make cuts. This is great news for vendors in the
cloud telephony space, offering solutions that can streamline operations and reduce overall costs.
Jerry Luftman, a professor at Stevens Institute of Technology and a VP with SIM told InformationWeek that the recession is different when it comes to spending in IT. In the past, economic strains placed IT spending on the chopping block first. Why? Mainly because it was viewed as risky and expensive and business executives were still unsure of its value.
In truth, cloud telephony and IT is still risky and can be expensive, but companies today know they need
tech projects in place to make progress. These activities help reach new customers, analyze the profitability of products and improve overall productivity. Luftman highlighted that what executives are doing is asking IT to work more closely with the business side to identify ways to truly leverage the power of IT.
Jason Maynard, a senior technology equity analyst with Wells Fargo (News - Alert) suggests that technology change taking place today is the most active it has been in 20 years. Companies recognize the impact of the mobile, social and cloud waves and don’t want to be left behind. This is spurring a number of cloud telephony
implementations.
The rising
priorities in the enterprise demonstrate a focus on growth, as well as new opportunities that rely on emerging technologies. It’s easy to see the change happening in wireless, but companies are also embracing cloud telephony and CRM, exploring opportunities for growth.
Cloud computing is one of the hottest areas of growth and opportunity, resting at No. 2 on the technology priority list for many an enterprise. The CIOs surveyed for the Society for Information Management report suggest they are setting aside 11 percent for both internal and external clouds, demonstrating a clear commitment toward this initiative – one that is expected to continue to grow.
Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan’s articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by Juliana Kenny