A company called IBM (you’ve heard of them) just put out a worldwide study entitled “Inside the Midmarket: A 2009 Perspective” (PDF) which associates some numbers to the budget and priority trends we’ve been hearing about in mid-market IT companies. As expected, the top three priorities in Mid-market IT departments are:
- Information Management
- Security Management
- IT Infrastructure
What’s common among all three is the fact that they are priorities that are independent of economic conditions. Whether in a boom or a bust, information needs to be managed, security needs to be top of mind, and infrastructure is always a consideration.
Data Doesn’t Care About The Economy
It would be nice if the rate of data growth depended on a company’s IT budget, but that just isn’t the case. Files don’t care if you’re down to your last few gigs on your network share. Don’t believe me? Well, listen to what IBM said:
If there’s one area where there is no shortage in today’s environment, it’s data. Data is exploding, everywhere. The problem for many businesses is that their data is in varying formats and locations. It’s nearly impossible to draw meaningful conclusions when information is so scattered. Transforming data into insightful and actionable intelligence can help make better, sharper, timelier business decisions. Information is a strategic asset- if it can be harnessed and analyzed. Given that growing independence on reliable and useful information, it’s no surprise that information management is cited as botha critical IT and business priority for the majority of the companies surveyed.
Still not convinced? Here’s a picture:
So there it is. Data is everywhere, and it’s a huge headache in mid-market companies. Just a handful of data woes:
- Too much data- You have so much data and are running out of places to put it
- Old data- Junk that is taking up valuable real estate on your network…..stuff that belongs in a data retirement home
- Duplicate data- Sure it was fun sending multiple copies of the jpg of Bob from accounting singing “Safety Dance” at karaoke at the company’s holiday party, but how many copies do you need on your network?
Data Problems…..We’re Working On Them
And, coincidentally, these are exactly the problems that we’re working to solve. We’re not quite ready to show our hand to the world, but we’re getting close. So if you’re interested in seeing what we’re going to be launching soon, head over to this page and we’ll put you on the waiting list.
