IT Professionals Expect Bigger Budgets In 2008, Says the CDW Holiday IT Wish List 2007
Virtualization is High on IT Shopping Lists; Survey Also Answers What’s Hot on the "Techno-Sugarplum Index" and Which Holiday Films IT Folks Prefer
VERNON HILLS, Ill. - November 27, 2007 - CDW Corporation, a leading provider of technology products and services to business, government and education, today announced results of the 2007 CDW Holiday IT Wish List survey. For the second year in a row, CDW invited IT decision makers to share their holiday wishes and perspectives on 2007, but with a humorous touch in keeping with the holiday season. A senior staff member at The North Pole reviewed all 626 holiday requests and told us what participants are wishing for this season.
On the serious side, 59 percent of respondents said that their organization is somewhat likely or extremely likely to increase investment in information technology (IT) in 2008. Asked for their outlook on particular technology investments, 52 percent said that their companies are somewhat or extremely likely to increase investment in virtualization, with knowledge management in second position at 40 percent. Twenty-eight percent believe that their organizations are somewhat or extremely likely to allow more employees to telework in 2008.
"As our customers - and ultimately their customers - take stock of the year past with an eye on the year ahead, it is promising to note that decision makers are seeing the value of information technology and are consequently increasing their investment in it where they can add value to their business," said Mark Gambill, vice president of marketing at CDW. "CDW always listens closely to its customers and, whatever the prospects, the year’s end is traditionally a time for people and companies to reflect on what is most important. The Holiday IT Wish List is an enjoyable way for CDW to share in that, wish all of our customers well, and join them in some seasonal fun."
The eight-question survey was offered between November 1 and November 9 to participants in Communispace, CDW’s award-winning online customer advisory community. Six hundred and twenty-six IT decision-makers from a balanced cross-section of large, medium and small companies participated. The questions ranged from personal gift wishes to professional insights.
Asked what one gift their firm’s senior management could give them to make their jobs easier in 2008, the top responses overall were more IT staff (27 percent) and more IT budget (16 percent). However, the size of the participant’s company was a factor, as more respondents from small companies wished for more IT budget (21 percent) than IT staff (15 percent), while 31 percent from large companies wished for more IT staff and only 14 percent wished for more budget. This was a significant change from a year ago, when wishes for staff and budget overall were roughly equal - so perhaps the elves were listening in December 2006. Other responses included wishes for the option to telework, more technology upgrades, more time to get their own work done, more training and - of course - more time off.
Participants responded with characteristic enthusiasm to an open-ended question about what they would give their senior management, if money were no object. The most frequently suggested gifts were variations on "vacation," although the length of time off and the destinations differed according to the, shall we say, motivation of the respondent. Many suggested high-powered laptops or technology enhancements to improve the business, such as business intelligence systems. Other common answers envisioned senior management walking a mile in the respondents’ shoes, including one spritely, IT adaptation of "The Twelve Days."
Entertainment products topped the Techno-Sugarplum Index (participants’ personal wish lists) again this year, with high-definition televisions still the clear leader at 24 percent, followed by the Nintendo Wii (10 percent), digital SLR cameras (9 percent), iPods (8 percent), home theater systems (8 percent) and other entertainment devices. Write-ins included wishes for conventional laptops, desktops and peripherals, while some eschewed technology altogether. "A new tractor - you have your ‘technology’ and I have mine," offered one person, and others wished for "a back rub machine" or nothing of the sort: "I hate gadgets."
Asked what technology news stories were most important to them in 2007, virtualization and the market’s response to Microsoft Windows Vista tied for top choice at 18 percent, although responses from larger companies favored virtualization while responses from smaller companies leaned toward Vista. Security, data losses and spam remain perennial hot topics, with 9 percent of respondents selecting them, and "green/energy-efficient IT" made a new showing with 8 percent selecting it as the most important topic of the year.
A second open-ended question invited creative thought about technology news headlines participants would like to read in 2008. Most common topics were Microsoft, Bill Gates, Google acquisitions and security issues, with treatments ranging from purely personal ("Bill Gates Discovers Long-Lost Sister in Michigan") and ("IT Manager Makes First Million at Small Company") to topical ("Global Warming Traced to U.S. Presidential Campaigns") or wishful ("Working Teleport System Erases Air Travel Woes").
A new question, aimed to support IT professionals in office party small talk, asked, "If you were only allowed one holiday movie to watch during the entire season, which one would it be?" The convincing winner was National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation at 24 percent, followed by Christmas Story (15 percent) and It’s a Wonderful Life (14 percent). Given the participants’ demographics, of course, the compelling attraction of Christmas Vacation can only be its best-in-class lesson in exterior illumination.
To obtain a copy of the complete 2007 CDW Holiday IT Wish List Survey Report, please visit www.cdw.com/holidaywish.
About CDW
CDW®, ranked No. 342 on the FORTUNE 500, is a leading provider of technology solutions for business, government and education. CDW is a principal source of technology products and services including top name brands such as Acer, Adobe, APC, Apple, Cisco, EMC, Fujitsu, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Microsoft, Panasonic, Quantum, Samsung, Sony, Symantec, ViewSonic and Xerox. CDW’s direct model offers customers one-on-one relationships with knowledgeable account managers and access to approximately 820 on-staff engineers and advanced technology specialists who customize solutions for customers’ complex technology needs. CDW also provides same-day product shipping and post-sales technical support.
CDW was founded in 1984 and as of June 30, 2007, employed approximately 5,880 coworkers. In 2006, the company generated sales of $6.8 billion. For more information, visit CDW.com.
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