VMware SMB survey results

VMware has published the results of a comprehensive survey on the operational efficiency, disaster preparedness, and use of virtualization among small-and-medium sized business (SMB) IT centers. Among many conclusions of the survey is that one-third (33 percent) of SMBs have had an IT systems outage within the past two years and more than one in five (21 percent) has lost critical business data as a result of an accident or disaster. Of those, more than three in five (62 percent) have lost sales or customers as a result.

At the same time, fewer than half (47 percent) have a business continuity plan that has been updated in the past two years, or have a detailed data backup and retention policy – even though retaining current customers was ranked as a highly important business goal by 77 percent.

“Small and medium business owners understand that their customers are their top priority. However, they don’t fully appreciate the risks of permanent damage a systems outage can have on the relationship with their customers,” says Joe Andrews, group manager, Product Marketing at VMware.

SMBs and virtualization

The survey found that SMBs are achieving a wide range of benefits with virtualization. The areas in which the most SMBs reported significant improvements were time spent on routine IT administrative tasks (73 percent), application availability (71 percent), ability to respond to changing business needs (68 percent), backup and data protection (67 percent), business continuity preparedness (67 percent), and company profitability and growth rate (67 percent).

Other findings:

* The top IT initiatives for 2010 are improving security (61 percent), data backup & protection (52 percent), maintaining current infrastructure (42 percent), reducing energy use (39 percent), and business continuity & disaster recovery (39 percent).

* The top business goals for 2010 are retaining key employees (81 percent), controlling costs (81 percent), finding new customers (79 percent), retaining current customers (77 percent), and increasing productivity (77 percent).

* Almost nine out of ten (89 percent) IT departments spend half or more of their time on routine administrative tasks.

* Companies that have implemented virtualization see their IT departments as more effective. 71 percent of companies that use virtualization rate their IT department as somewhat or very effective, versus 45 percent of companies that have not implemented virtualization.

* IT departments are generally perceived as responsive to business needs; Companies that have implemented virtualization see their IT departments as more responsive. 73 percent of companies that use virtualization rate their

* IT departments as somewhat or very responsive, versus 57 percent of companies that have not implemented virtualization.

* IT budgets have been mixed in 2009. 45 percent have been cut somewhat or significantly from 2008, but 32 percent have increased somewhat or significantly. 22 percent have held steady.

Survey methodology

The VMware SMB survey was conducted online among 309 senior business and IT managers at companies with 20 to 1,000 employees in the US and Canada by Bredin Business Information, Inc. between October 21 and November 5, 2009.

A written report with the survey results can be found here:
http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/VMware-SMB-Survey.pdf

•Date: 18th Dec 2009• Region: N.America •Type: Article •Topic: IT continuity
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