Using Professional Services When Managing Outsourced IT Services

Just implementing a hosting solution isn't always enough. The tasks and projects associated with the infrastructure need to be integrated into the solution.

Quite often companies look to use professional services when implementing a hosting solution to ensure that the project as a whole is a success.

Using a Professional Services vendor means that the right skills are available at the right time when outsourcing IT infrastrucure. Here's a white paper that gives some real world examples of how professional services can ensure a hosting project can be a success.

Managing Outsourced IT Services—The Role of a Strategic Professional Services Partner

Mid-market CIOs increasing Data Center Outsourcing

In contrast to the Gartner study (see previous post) that said only 9% of CIOs are considering increasing outsourcing to address buidget issues, here's a study that says mid0market CIOs are increasing their data center outsourcing and are, in the main, happy with the results.

Data center outsourcing increases; most happy with results

This increase in ouitsourcing, is matched on the supply side by hosting providers expanding their facilities.

IT Budgets Down - but it's not as bad as you might think

A Gartner survey of CIOs shows that budgets in the first quarter of this years are down just under 5% compared to the end of 2008.

In a time of uncertainty, plans are postponed/delayed and the figures are examined more carefully.

Over half of the respondents reported making no changes to their budgets - implying those that did actually averaged about a 10% reduction.

Typically, the actions reported were:

• renegotiating vendor contracts
• salary freezes
• head count reductions
• capex reductions

Only 9% view outsourcing as a way of addressing budget issues.

View the full blog entry:

Mark McDonald — A Member of The Gartner Blog Network: "In the first quarter of 2009, CIOs experienced significant IT budget revisions as executives gained a greater understanding and solidified plans for addressing the global financial crisis, according to a worldwide survey of 900 CIOs by Gartner Executive Programs (EXP)."