Mixed feelings about technology initiatives moving outside of IT departments
Summary
These mixed emotions are a recent survey of 450 IT executives and managers, who see opportunity in user-driven IT, tempered by nervousness about loss of control, runaway costs, security holes, and what the auditors will say. The IDG Connect survey, commissioned by Snow Software, reveals that some fears have been realized -- empowering business units has led to more complex audits, unchecked costs and security vulnerabilities. "Decentralized IT spending is likely to deliver a number of positive outcomes, as a shift in roles offers tactical decision-making among business units via SaaS and IaaS procurement," the IDG authors state. "A critical part of this framework is ensuring that the costs, security and compliance requirements of software purchases are visible and understood throughout the procurement process. A majority, 54%, say it helps draw attention and interest in digital initiatives, while close to half suggest that it does open up transparency in IT costs.