Skilled IT staff are being wasted on the IT equivalent of
vacuuming and washing the dishes.
Password resets and
e-mail management are the top two bugbears for IT departments,
with end-users in general and the support of remote and mobile
workforces also featuring high up in the list of the least popular
chores, say senior IT executives.
Research, based on a series of interviews with UK CIOs and
senior IT professionals, was conducted by
desktop-on-demand provider Nasstar.
It found IT workers are still inundated with chores that sap
their ability to work profitably and strategically for their
employers.
One UK CIO said he believed up to 70% of his staff's time was
spent on non-strategic IT tasks - "just keeping the lights on".
Charles Black, CEO of Nasstar, said, "It seems incredible that
talented IT resources are still being spent on basic maintenance
tasks.
"I do not suppose for one minute the CEO of these companies runs
around with a vacuum cleaner, while the CFO collects dirty plates
and mugs from people's desks at the end of the day.
"So why are well-paid and well-skilled IT professionals still
losing sleep over patching and upgrades, which should be pushed out
centrally."
The top irritations were:
1. Password resets
2. E-mail management
3. End-users in general
4. Fixing broken printer and photocopiers
5. Support of remote and mobile working
6. Upgrade cycles and applying patches