Tidbits of surveys from the 451 Research and other studies.
Cloud
Cloud adoption remains strong, with 60% of respondents indicating either Initial Implementation (31%) or Broad Implementation (29%) of production applications. Just over a quarter of the respondents are either Running Trials/Pilot Projects (15%) or Discovery and Evaluation (12%).
Respondents were asked to pick their top cloud computing related projects over the next 12 months and Cloud Security (37%) topped the list followed by SaaS for Application Modernization/Migration (33%) and Technology/Infrastructure Refresh (32%) was a close third.
"The [451] survey also asked if organizations are using professional services for their cloud enablement and it turns out that they are almost evenly split, with 41% indicating that they do use professional services - while the other 59% said they do not.
451 Research reports from HERE, HERE and HERE.
IOT
Compelling Business Need (52%) was the top driver for increases in IoT spending while another 48% cited Improved Daily Operational Efficiencies second, and Respond Faster to Customer Needs (43%) was third.
Currently for the vast majority of respondents, 87% said they did not have a dedicated budget for IoT, but rather it is part of their overall IT budget. In contrast, only 13% said they have a dedicated budget for IoT.
IoT presents new deployment challenges, so respondents were asked about their key IoT-related technology priorities. IoT Security (47%) tops the list, followed by Big Data Analytics for IoT (34%) and IoT Infrastructure Equipment (31%).
IT Pain Points
For those respondents that are adding dedicated staff in 2017, the top skillset they are looking for is Data/Analytics (70%). Security (55%) and Cloud Computing (55%) are tied for second and Network Edge/Perimeter (45%) is third.
According to 48% of respondents, Cost/Budget is the chief IT pain point, followed closely by Responding Effectively to Changing Business (45%) and Security Issues/Concerns (41%).
Data Center Priorities and Pain Points
Respondents were asked how they would address a shortage of floor space or power capacity within their data centers. An external fix, to Utilize Off-Premises Public Cloud Providers (37%) topped the list, followed by two internal initiatives: Consolidate IT Infrastructure to Accommodate Power and/or Space Availability (34%) and Expand an Existing Data Center (26%).
Respondents were asked about their highest-priority projects for data centers, and Improving Existing IT Asset Utilization (48%, up 4-pts) remains at the top of the list. Data Center Consolidation (28%, up 2-pts) is a second. Upgrading/Retrofitting an Existing Facility (20%, down 3-pts)is in third place.
