Technology Link to Business Success Grows Stronger, New CompTIA Study Finds

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May 15, 2013, 09:15 ET

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., May 15, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The role of information technology (IT) in setting strategic priorities and achieving business success is growing for companies around the world, according to new research released today by CompTIA, the non-profit association for the IT industry.

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More than three-quarters of businesses say technology is important or very important to their success; the majority plan solid increases in IT spending this year; and four in 10 have expectations of hiring new IT staff in 2013.

CompTIA's International Technology Adoption & Workforce Issues study is based on a survey of more than 1,250 business and IT executives in countries around the world, some with mature economies and others, maturing.

Top technology priorities for the next 12 months include:

Cybersecurity
Data storage and back-up
Network infrastructure
Web presence, including e-commerce
Updating aging computers and software

"Emerging technologies such as cloud computing continue to see adoption gains as well," noted Tim Herbert, vice president, research, CompTIA. "More than half of responding companies say they are either experimenting with or fully using cloud computing solutions."

Greater reliance on technology may prompt many businesses to increase their IT staff over the next 12 months. Skills rated as having the greatest importance include networks and infrastructure; database and information management; storage; IT support; and server and data center management.

Many of these positions will also require technical skills in emerging areas such as cloud computing and mobility.

IT skills gaps remain a challenge, with more than half of companies expressing concern about the quality and quantity of IT talent available for hire.

"In many cases skills gaps are a natural part of the IT industry due to the speed of innovation," said Terry Erdle, executive vice president, skills certification, CompTIA. "The demand for new technologies can get ahead of the supply of workers who are well trained and credentialed in those areas."

Workers and companies in most countries are responding to the need for more skills. The incidence of IT staff engaging in training over past 12 months ranges from 72 percent in Japan to 97 percent in India and Thailand. The majority of businesses also expect IT certifications to increase in importance over the next two years.

CompTIA's International Technology Adoption & Workforce Issues study is the result of an online survey of 1,256 business and IT executives directly involved in setting or executing IT policies and processes within their organizations. Surveys were conducted in February and March in Brazil, Canada, France, German, Japan, India, Mexico, a Middle East subset (Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates), Thailand and the United Kingdom. The full report is available at no cost to CompTIA members. Visit CompTIA.org or contact [email protected] for details.