IT departments are moving to a more strategic role

IT departments are moving to a more strategic role
IT managers say no to "Have you tried switching it off and on?"

IT teams are becoming much more strategic and this has left IT departments struggling to cope, research has revealed.

Research from MSM Software shows that the majority (95%) of IT managers believe the IT department has changed over the past 12 months, with a move to a more strategic role in the business.

Respondents cited the ways that the role of IT has changed, including changing skill sets and IT staff spending less time running in-house systems. In addition, non-strategic roles have been the first to go when it has come to cutbacks for nearly a fifth (18%) of organisations involved in the research.

With IT departments focused on strategy, two out of five IT managers say they no longer have sufficient resource to support IT systems.

Thomas Coles, managing director at MSM Software, says, "Over the past year there has been a significant shift within in-house IT departments. This is not least due to limited funds resulting in necessary cut-backs, which have had a direct impact on resource.

"Businesses must ensure they are not placed at risk by a failure to ensure their IT function can drive forward technology innovation. For example outsourcing provides a key way in which organisations can plug essential skills gaps to ensure their competitive future; enabling day to day activities to be supported whilst IT teams focus on delivering strategic objectives."