IT Budgets to Increase 4.4% in 2014 with Security, Cloud and Virtualization Top Priorities

Today’s IP news roundup highlights some of the latest headlines in IT management, VoIP, cloud computing and more:

• According to Computerworld’s Forecast 2014 survey, 36% of organizations will increase their IT budgets in 2014. Meanwhile, another 50% will hold their budgets steady. The survey of 221 IT executives revealed that the top budget priorities are security technologies, cloud computing, virtualization, wireless/mobile and business analytics. As spending on cloud and virtualization services increases, it is not surprising that the respondents plan to decrease their spending on hardware and on-premises software.  

Computerworld states that “budgeting for services is outpacing spending on hardware and software, and that has a domino effect on the skills that IT organizations need. While some organizations have cut staff when adding outside help, others have held steady or even added IT staffers because, if an IT organization is buying services, it needs more people with vendor management and negotiation skills.” For more information on 2014 IT spending trends, see Computerworld.

• VoIP can help you save money and improve efficiencies. According to a Business 2 Community blog post, VoIP can help you run a leaner business. The post states, “In today’s economy, the successful businesses are the ones that can be lean and efficient. VoIP provides a clear digital signal and cost-savings opportunities that were unheard of 10-12 years ago. Whether it’s inbound toll-free or long distance, telephony costs continue to drop. And with a hosted VoIP model, a large investment in PBX hardware that will be obsolete in a few years is no longer required.”

However, to achieve these benefits, you must throw out old ways of thinking and realize that you no longer need to get your phone lines, long-distance services and phones from three different vendors, as “you can now typically purchase an all-inclusive calling package” from a single VoIP provider. For more ways you can use VoIP to reduce your costs while improving your efficiencies, see Business 2 Community.

• The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) has released Cloud Control Matrix Version 3.0 to help organizations better manage cloud-centric security risks. According to the CSA press release, “The CCM Version 3.0 expands its control domains to address changes in cloud security risks since the release of the CSA’s seminal guidance domain, ‘Security Guidance for Critical Areas of Focus in Cloud Computing version 3.0’ while making strides towards closer harmonization of the two.” For more information on CCM Version 3.0, see the CSA press release.
• And finally … big data can improve customer loyalty. A Forbes.com article states, “By examining big data, companies can create successful customer loyalty and retention programs and personalize consumer interactions in meaningful ways – both of which are crucial to strong bottom-line performance. Such information helps companies target customer communications, marketing campaigns and special offers. The premise is that to stay competitive, companies need to understand not only their customers’ wants and needs, but also predict future tendencies.” For more information on how to use big data to enhance customer loyalty, see Forbes.com.  

What is your take on today’s news? Feel free to share your opinions below.