tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91574224835551697242012-01-28T09:10:41.144-08:00SupportIndustry BlogThe SupportIndustry.com Blog is dedicated to covering the latest topics related to service and support, call center management, customer experience management, web-based support, help desks, workforce optimization and much more.CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.comBlogger4941100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-90056590846987481702012-01-27T11:30:00.001-08:002012-01-27T11:30:54.889-08:00The Consumerization of IT Helps Level the SMB Playing Field Across the WorldIncreased adoption and personal use of advanced technology is paying dividends for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) around the world as the consumerization of IT continues to expand, especially in developing countries. Survey research from International Data Corporation (IDC) found that SMBs in developing countries are much more likely to encourage the use of worker-owned technology, CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-59059178141724589692012-01-23T15:23:00.000-08:002012-01-23T15:23:45.759-08:00One in Three Consumers Consider Highly Trained Employees the Most Important FactorEmpathicaInc., a provider of Customer Experience Management (CEM) solutions, announced that its Consumer Insights Panel survey of 5,000 U.S. and Canadian consumers found that nearly a third of consumers consider highly knowledgeable and well-trained employees as the most important element of their luxury purchase experience.
Survey results also showed that consumers are very willing to walk out CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-56651672854522712492012-01-18T11:04:00.000-08:002012-01-18T11:04:03.468-08:00How to succeed as a CIO in a new companyHow to succeed as a CIO in a new company
The first 90 days are the most critical for new CIOs
The success of the CIO is based on results. Too often new CIOs try to do too much before they know enough. According to the IT Productivity Center, six things that a new CIO should do are:
Find an Internal Ally - It is crucial to quickly get to know the new company. But since no one can be CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-59500975237432669772012-01-16T13:50:00.000-08:002012-01-16T13:50:10.745-08:00Young Professionals, College Students Admit They'll Go To Extreme Measures for Internet Access Despite IT PoliciesSeven out of 10 young employees frequently ignore IT policies, and one in four is a victim of identity theft before the age of 30, according to a global study from Cisco announced today. The final set of findings from the three-part Cisco Connected WorldTechnology Report reveals startling attitudes toward IT policies and growing security threats posed by the next generation of employees entering CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-58593822078240953572012-01-10T12:47:00.001-08:002012-01-10T12:48:22.102-08:00Consumers Say “Call Me -- If It’s Relevant”New research from customer management leader Convergys Corporation shows that consumers welcome proactive outreach from service and sales organizations, but only when companies make the interaction relevant by first understanding the consumer’s individual needs and interests.
The Convergys 2011 U.S. Customer Scorecard Research offers an in-depth view of contact preferences – by topic and CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-68666214061048339322012-01-09T09:32:00.000-08:002012-01-09T09:32:37.965-08:00Gartner Says Worldwide IT Spending to Grow 3.7 Percent in 2012Worldwide IT spending is forecast to total $3.8 trillion in 2012, a 3.7 percent increase from 2011, according to the latest outlook by Gartner, Inc. In 2011, worldwide IT spending totaled $3.7 trillion, up 6.9 percent from 2010 levels.
Gartner has revised downward its outlook for 2012 global IT spending from its previous forecast of 4.6 percent growth. All four major technology sectors computingCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-45660669421895123682012-01-05T09:14:00.000-08:002012-01-05T09:14:56.620-08:00New Research Finds IT Budgets Are Up, And So Is Demand For New Technology ProjectsInformationWeek Reports, a service for peer-based IT research and analysis, announced the release of its latest research report. Outlook 2012 encompasses analysis of results from InformationWeek's recent survey on IT spending, staffing plans and strategies for 2012. More than 600 business technology professionals responded to this poll.
Research Summary:
IT budgets are up, and so is demand CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-63169742398750829082012-01-02T10:14:00.000-08:002012-01-02T10:14:41.227-08:00CIOs Reveal First-Quarter Hiring PlansTechnology executives expect information technology (IT) hiring to continue in the first quarter of 2012, according to the just-released Robert HalfTechnology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report. In the latest quarterly survey, 20 percent of chief information officers (CIOs) said they plan to expand their IT departments, and 10 percent expect cutbacks, for a net 10 percent projected increase in CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-16180635002071334552011-12-15T13:39:00.000-08:002011-12-15T13:39:38.468-08:00Rising Use of Consumer Technology in the Workplace Forcing IT Departments to RespondThe consumerization of corporate IT - as employees bring their own devices and applications into the workplace - is one of the biggest challenges and opportunities facing organizations worldwide in the next five years, according to new survey research published by Accenture. With almost half (45 percent) of the employees surveyed noting that personal consumer devices and software applications areCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-86777619652435960272011-12-13T13:17:00.000-08:002011-12-13T13:17:01.895-08:00Agents Still the Focal Point of Customer Care New research from customer relationship management provider Convergys Corporation reveals that while U.S. consumers still call agents their “go to” resource for customer service, the growing popularity of live Web chat, email, text messaging, self-service Web sites, social media and other new care options is fueling demand for the multichannel service experience.
According to findings from CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-47972352523794183622011-12-12T14:09:00.001-08:002011-12-12T14:09:59.132-08:00CIOs Must Assess the Impacts of the Euro Crisis on Their Enterprises NowWith extreme uncertainty plaguing all enterprises operating in the eurozone, CIOs must act immediately to protect their enterprises, according to Gartner, Inc. CIOs need to safeguard their enterprises from the risks of government/bank default, euro break-up, counterparty bankruptcy and employee/customer distress.
Gartner analysts said there are four broad challenges that the euro crisis raises,CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-85908127337306908762011-12-07T09:52:00.000-08:002011-12-07T09:53:37.302-08:00Social Media Bringing IT and LEGAL TogetherRecommind, a provider of predictive information management software, released the results of its third annual survey on the working relationship between corporate IT and legal departments. In contrast with last year’s study, this year’s indicates that the two departments are forging a more productive relationship as they work together to manage the most sensitive data in the enterprise.
CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-11783421867761825812011-12-01T14:07:00.000-08:002011-12-01T14:07:28.364-08:00Top Predictions for IT Organizations and Users for 2012 and BeyondGartner, Inc. has revealed its top predictions for IT organizations and users for 2012 and beyond. Analysts said that the predictions herald changes in control for IT organizations as budgets, technologies and costs become more fluid and distributed. Gartner's top predictions for 2012 include:
-- By 2015, low-cost cloud services will cannibalize up to 15 percent of top outsourcing players' CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-56524809402157909082011-11-29T11:56:00.000-08:002011-11-29T11:57:20.039-08:00Study Finds Nearly 60% of Companies Plan to Increase Their IT SpendingAs the economy regains its footing, companies are striving to be more efficient, competitive and productive all the while through increased IT investments. According to a recent survey by Windows IT Pro, 58% of companies plan for increased IT capital spending in the next 12 months. The survey results also reveal 80% of companies indicate new or enabling technologies are the main catalyst for theCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-83599591299020529252011-11-21T10:12:00.000-08:002011-11-21T10:12:39.991-08:00Study Finds U.S. Workers Under Pressure to Improve Skills, But Need More Support from EmployersThe majority (55 percent) of workers in the U.S. report they are under pressure to develop additional skills to be successful in their current and future jobs, but only 21 percent say they have acquired new skills through company-provided formal training during the past five years, according to a study released by Accenture.
The Accenture Skills Gap Study, which surveyed 1,088 employed and CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-30035991067459881162011-11-15T11:41:00.000-08:002011-11-15T11:42:23.518-08:00Information Trumps Automation as Global CIOs Shift Budget Priorities in 2012New research from Corporate Executive Board, a research and advisory services company, says CIOs expect to spend 39 percent of their 2012 project budgets on information management initiatives and 32 percent on process automation projects. This represents a significant shift in corporate IT departments' priorities as information outstrips process automation. CEB also anticipates rapid growth in CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-54123241877492594852011-11-10T09:28:00.000-08:002011-11-10T09:28:14.019-08:00HDI Announces Release of 2011 HDI Support Center Practices & Salary ReportHDI, an IT service and technical support association, announced the release of the 2011 HDI Support Center Practices & Salary Report. Further proving HDI's dedication to the advancement of the industry, the report features research pertaining to industry trends, tendencies, and best practices, utilizing statistics and data provided by IT service and technical support professionals themselves.
KeyCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-56207236338983329522011-11-07T11:34:00.000-08:002011-11-07T11:35:11.601-08:00Survey Reveals Today's IT Professional Workforce is Content and Optimistic About the FutureAmid fears of a "double-dip" recession, rising unemployment, and continued economic turbulence, a new survey of IT professionals conducted by Modis, a provider of information technology staffing solutions, paints a brighter picture of the current career outlook for the field. According to the survey, a large majority (89 percent) of IT professionals are happy at their current job and two-thirds (CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-91245098988500405522011-11-04T14:55:00.000-07:002011-11-04T14:55:37.624-07:00Uncertain Economic Climate Yields Mixed Outlook Among IT ProfessionalsThe latest CDW IT Monitor revealed lower expectations for budget increases and hiring, along with a drop in overall hardware spending. However, increases in software spending and a more optimistic outlook in key sectors, including small business and healthcare IT, brought balance to the broader IT sentiment.
Key findings of the report include:
-- Forty percent of IT decision-makers expect an CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-4295982316372441752011-11-02T13:38:00.000-07:002011-11-02T13:38:30.873-07:0065% of IT Pros Expect an Increase in Employee Owned Mobile Devices Accessing Business DataThe pace of mobility change is accelerating. In the 16 months since InformationWeek's last MDM survey, market shares have shifted considerably, fueled by alluring options from consumer-focused vendors Apple and Google, and tablets have shot up in popularity. Nearly 80% of August 2011 respondents say the devices will increase in importance within their organizations in the next 24 months, comparedCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-71747107116171282602011-11-01T13:36:00.000-07:002011-11-01T13:36:21.048-07:00Nearly One-Fourth of Companies Now Provide Customer Service via FacebookA new study released today by MarketTools, Inc., a provider of software and services for enterprise feedback management (EFM), revealed that 23 percent of companies provide customer service and support on Facebook, with 12 percent providing customer service and support via Twitter.
The study also revealed that although 34 percent of the executives surveyed stated that they were aware of customersCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-63179164398553613522011-10-18T13:11:00.000-07:002011-10-18T13:11:59.806-07:00Mid-Market Executives Increase Long-Term Investments Despite Economic UncertaintyExecutives at three out of four mid-market companies are maintaining or boosting their long-term investments despite the U.S. economy’s less than 1 percent growth rate during their first half of the year, according to a new Deloitte survey. The Deloitte report, Mid-Market Perspectives: America‘s Economic Engine -- Competing in Uncertain Times, also indicates a majority of respondents are CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-13965828919037425862011-10-17T09:30:00.000-07:002011-10-17T09:30:47.090-07:00Nearly One in Four Companies Expects to Hire for Executive Level Positions Over Next Six MonthsAs caution continues to dictate the economic climate, many companies are recruiting top talent to navigate uncertainty and maintain a competitive advantage. Twenty-three percent of employers expect to hire for executive-level positions over the next six months, according to CareerBuilder's new nationwide survey of more than 2600 hiring managers and human resources professionals.
Consistent with CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-52526342233839234122011-10-12T11:47:00.000-07:002011-10-12T11:47:40.325-07:00Enterprise IT Managers Concerned That Employees Have Role in IntrusionsIs the enemy within? In this year's seventh annual survey of 350 enterprise IT managers and network administrators commissioned by VanDyke Software and executed by Amplitude Research, those survey respondents who reported a successful intrusion of their user machines, office network, and/or servers cited the following primary causes or contributing factors to past intrusions:
- Lack of adequateCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-4305607284145807662011-10-10T09:37:00.001-07:002011-10-10T09:39:03.933-07:00Half of US Companies Plan to Increase IT Spending in 2012Half of US companies plan to invest more on IT resources in 2012 than in 2011, according to a new survey by Nucleus Research. In fact, 10 percent of the companies surveyed are planning an increase of 10 percent or greater. A mere one out of 10 companies plan to decrease spending next year.
Nucleus expects to see continued investment in areas including CRM, integration, business intelligence and CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-35106294220884598352011-10-06T09:53:00.000-07:002011-10-06T09:54:05.483-07:00Job Losses in U.S. High-Tech Industry Decline in 2010TechAmerica Foundation released its 14th annual Cyberstates report detailing national and state trends in high-tech employment, wages, and other key economic factors. The U.S. high-tech industry lost 115,800 net jobs in 2010, for a total of 5.75 million workers. This two percent decline in tech industry employment was less than half of the 249,500 jobs lost in 2009, which followed several years CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-89851659496025295792011-09-26T14:11:00.000-07:002011-09-26T14:11:10.961-07:00Half Of US Information Workers Split Time Between Office And Remote LocationsHalf of US information workers now split their time between the office, home, and other remote locations, according to Forrester’s Q2 2011 US Workforce Technology And Engagement Online Survey of 4,985 US information workers. The report also reveals that workers are untethered from the office as they rise in rank. Fifty-three percent of individual workers are office-bound, but that number drops toCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-13287397448575287752011-09-22T14:50:00.000-07:002011-09-22T14:50:54.663-07:00Survey Reveals Agents Average 49 Minutes of Idle Time DailyAccording to a survey of contact center leaders, the average amount of idle time per day per employee is nearly an hour, as respondents report 49 minutes daily per agent on average. Knowlagent, a leading agent productivity solution for the world’s 10 million call center agents, released this and other findings from its 2011 Customer Contact Center Productivity Survey.
Other survey results includeCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-81438367002827676222011-09-20T19:39:00.000-07:002011-09-20T19:39:47.261-07:00Evolving cyber threats continue to drive security strategy and investing worldwideThe 2012 Global State of Information Security Survey reveals that 43 percent of global companies think they have an effective information security strategy in place and are proactively executing their plans, placing them in the category of information security “front-runners.” Twenty-seven percent of respondents identified themselves as “strategists” while the remaining identified themselves as “CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-68869391604043806812011-09-14T11:15:00.000-07:002011-09-14T11:15:27.712-07:00Employers Want CIOs to be Strategists or RevolutionariesDriven by rapid advancements and integrations of new technologies and evolving business needs, the role of the chief information officer (CIO) is shifting from steward to strategist or revolutionary, according to a new Deloitte survey of information technology (IT) executives in the United States.
According to the poll, 45 percent of nearly 1,000 IT executives surveyed say their own CIO is CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-11979626742776722622011-09-12T09:42:00.000-07:002011-09-12T09:43:41.822-07:00CIOs Reveal Fourth-Quarter Hiring PlansTechnology executives expect information technology (IT) hiring to continue in the fourth quarter of 2011, according to the just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report. In the latest quarterly survey, 12 percent of chief information officers (CIOs) said they plan to expand their IT departments, and 6 percent expect cutbacks, for a net 6 percent projected increase in CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-23694629377534831982011-09-08T10:11:00.000-07:002011-09-08T10:12:42.246-07:00Results Show "IT Spending Squeeze" is OverDuring the recession, companies cut IT spending as they focused on cost reduction to stop the bleeding in earnings. Doing more with less, businesses put strategic projects on hold. However, according to the recently launched Maven Wave Partners IT Investment Index (the "MIT Index"), a new measure of investment in information technology spending, the IT spending squeeze is officially over. From CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-33799413963098282011-08-30T11:22:00.000-07:002011-08-30T11:22:31.663-07:00Survey Reveals Enterprises Are Most Concerned About “Advanced Persistent Threat” Attacks by Wide MarginIn a year that IT security experts have labeled the “Year of the Hack,” Bit9’s Third Annual Endpoint Survey of 765 IT executives revealed that Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) attacks -- like the one that infiltrated RSA, a division of EMC, and defense contractors this year – are of most concern to IT and security professionals.
However, despite the concerns about APT attacks, the survey also CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-68217998826264778772011-08-17T13:45:00.000-07:002011-08-17T13:46:14.904-07:00Nothing Soft About Itby Rich Gallagher, Point of Contact Group
Could you imagine what Starbucks would be like if its CEO hated coffee? Or what if you started a rock band and never listened to rock and roll? These are examples of what, in my mind, is the single biggest problem with the customer support industry today.
About 18 months ago, I raised my hand at panel discussion of senior support executives and asked, "CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-29759462847807908782011-08-08T15:45:00.000-07:002011-08-08T15:45:09.814-07:00US private companies increase IT budgets, with focus on growth and efficienciesWith a focus on new growth opportunities and efficiencies, 29% of US private companies surveyed for PwC US’s Private Company Trendsetter Barometer plan to increase their IT budget over the next year. In 2010, US private companies allocated approximately 5.6% of their budgets to IT. This investment is expected to rise to an average of 6.6% over the next 12 months, a year-to-year increase of nearlyCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-55682284491506539252011-08-04T09:38:00.000-07:002011-08-04T09:38:25.117-07:00Small Businesses Still Growing but Continued Economic Uncertainty Tempers PlansAlthough small business owners are slowly proceeding with growth plans in 2011, 40 percent are now delaying their expectations of an economic rebound to the first quarter of 2012 or later, according to the most recent Business Confidence Survey released by Insperity, Inc., a provider of human resources and business performance solutions to America's best businesses.
Only 12 percent expressed a CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-35145466010049501282011-07-25T09:37:00.000-07:002011-07-25T09:37:06.827-07:00IT Confidence Up But IT Budget Outlook CautiousEconomic uncertainty has resulted in a mixed outlook among IT decision-makers according to the latest CDW IT Monitor. While confidence is on an uptick and spending is showing small gains, budget recovery has been slow.
Budget expectations among IT decision-makers held steady through most of the latter half of 2010 until December of 2010 when there was a six percentage point drop. The recent CDW CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-88969619320050688422011-07-19T11:15:00.000-07:002011-07-19T11:15:14.179-07:00CFO Optimism Wanes as Economic Concerns Return and Internal Challenges RiseAs their companies shift from recovery to growth, chief financial officers (CFOs) are becoming increasingly concerned about the external and internal factors that threaten their progress. According to the results of the Deloitte CFO Signals survey for the second quarter of 2011, CFOs are more apprehensive about the soundness of capital investments and the possibility of internal missteps as they CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-8506236973463219242011-07-11T10:04:00.000-07:002011-07-11T10:04:01.062-07:00CEOs say innovation is most important factor for growth, leadership, strategic integration, accountability requiredInnovation -- in the form of developing new products and services -- has become as important to growth for CEOs as raising their share of existing markets. A survey by PwC of 1200 CEOs from around the world found that innovation, along with increasing their existing business, now outstrips all other means of potential expansion, including moving into new markets, mergers and acquisitions, and CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-16745040802237014062011-07-07T13:37:00.000-07:002011-07-07T13:37:13.346-07:00What Makes CIOs Toss and Turn at Night? IT Security Among Top Tech ConcernsThe tech world never sleeps and, apparently, CIOs don't get much rest either. According to The CIO Insomnia Project, a recently released research initiative from Robert Half Technology, nearly one-quarter (24 percent) of CIOs cited data security as the primary worry keeping them up at night, followed by hardware and/or operating systems upgrades, with 13 percent of the response.
The research CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-19725618951751983872011-07-05T09:09:00.000-07:002011-07-05T09:09:53.614-07:00Worldwide IT Spending Is on Pace to Grow 7.1 Percent in 2011Worldwide IT spending is on pace to grow 7.1 percent in 2011, according to the latest quarterly spending outlook by Gartner, Inc. Analysts have revised overall IT forecast spending growth in U.S. dollar terms, up from their first quarter update, when they projected 5.6 percent growth for 2011.
Global IT services is forecast to reach $846 billion in 2011, a 6.6 percent increase from 2010. The CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-24248606332113222602011-06-27T09:24:00.000-07:002011-06-27T09:24:09.158-07:00Worldwide Enterprise Software Revenue to Grow 9.5 Percent in 2011Worldwide enterprise software revenue is on pace to surpass $267 billion in 2011, a 9.5 percent increase from 2010 revenue of $244 billion, according to Gartner, Inc. The enterprise software market is projected for continued growth in 2012, with revenue forecast to reach $288 billion.
Enterprise infrastructure software spending is on pace to a $153.3 billion total in 2011, a 9 percent increase CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-54839843487448670372011-06-20T14:24:00.000-07:002011-06-20T14:24:10.655-07:00Survey Shows Expectations of IT's Strategic Contribution Will Double for 2012In the midst of a belief that tough times lie ahead, more boards of directors are saying that they expect a high to extremely high strategic contribution of IT in 2012, according to the Gartner Forbes 2011 U.S. Board of Directors Survey. The expectations of "high" to "extremely high" strategic contributions of IT climbed from 32 percent of survey respondents for 2010 to 66 percent for 2012.
From CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-46439573740862789852011-06-14T13:22:00.000-07:002011-06-14T13:22:04.676-07:00Survey: CEOs plan to boost hiring, spendingA majority of America’s largest companies are ready to step up hiring this year and more than 90% expect sales to improve, a survey found.
The Business Roundtable said that 52% of its members plan to increase hiring in the next six months. That’s the largest proportion for the group since it began surveying its members nine years ago. The trade group represents CEOs from roughly 200 of the nationCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-66994003640910235242011-06-13T08:35:00.000-07:002011-06-13T08:35:41.803-07:00Key Elements of an Effective IT Governance ProcessTo successfully implement IT governance, chief information officers (CIOs) require both leadership and execution, according to Gartner, Inc. Great IT leaders master process, and they understand that executing governance programs involve process, discipline and creativity.
Gartner analysts said that to deliver successful governance CIOs need to manage two dimensions of governance. First, CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-29190758415611246002011-06-07T13:31:00.000-07:002011-06-07T13:31:01.694-07:00CIOs Reveal Hiring Projections For Third Quarter: Survey Finds High Confidence in Business Prospects and Planned IT InvestmentsTechnology executives forecast continued information technology (IT) hiring activity in the third quarter of 2011, according to the just-released Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report. In the latest quarterly survey, 7 percent of chief information officers (CIOs) said they plan to expand their IT departments, and 3 percent expect cutbacks, for a net 4 percent projected increaseCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-55047771464132313752011-06-02T14:15:00.000-07:002011-06-02T14:15:30.952-07:00Nearly 85% of U.S. Businesses Ready to 'Weather the Storm' Due to Planning: AT&T StudyAs Midwesterners survey the wreckage from last week's deadly tornadoes and the Southern states recover from April's devastating rain storms, the importance of business continuity and disaster recovery efforts is a topic that remains close to home for businesses and organizations across the United States.
A recent study by AT&T found that:
-- 84 percent of executives have responded to the need to CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-90832116574885666652011-05-31T09:23:00.001-07:002011-05-31T09:23:50.848-07:00Failure to Manage and Retain Key Employees Negatively Affecting Corporations' Bottom LineThe Corporate Executive Board, a research and advisory services company, announced research that indicates companies' failure to manage and retain top talent is negatively affecting their balance sheets. In fact, 25 percent of top employees plan to change jobs in the next 12 months alone.
For organizations that haven't yet faced the intense time and financial pressure associated with retaining CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-91680615289529701322011-05-30T09:49:00.000-07:002011-05-30T09:49:31.555-07:00Emerging Markets, Workforce Analytics, and the Cloud are Revolutionary Trends Expected to Change the Human Capital LandscapeRecognizing that companies worldwide are struggling to focus on post-recession and global growth agendas, Deloitte has prepared a new report which identifies 12 revolutionary and evolutionary trends that will transform and dominate the agenda for human capital leaders and professionals in the coming years.
In the report, Deloitte identifies critical ‘game changing’ trends along with some more CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-89406975888294372632011-05-25T15:00:00.000-07:002011-05-25T15:00:56.207-07:002011 People Issues in Customer Support - Research ResultsCustomer support, at its root, is about relationships with people. Even its core technology falls under the rubric of customer relationship management. It often represents an organization's face and branding to the public. A great deal of literature now exists on the technology, metrics, and infrastructure behind this profession. But relatively little survey research benchmarks how well our CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-36494448160101925402011-05-19T15:03:00.000-07:002011-05-19T15:03:09.682-07:00Survey: When Self-service via the Web Fails, Majority of Customers Call the Contact CenterNICE Systems Ltd., announced key findings of its 2010 Consumer Channel Preference Survey on the communications channels preferred by consumers when contacting business and service providers. The survey reveals that the role of the contact center is evolving to “Tier 2” status, that is -- for taking care of escalated service requests that were not addressed by other channels such as the web or CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-72554214576827437622011-05-17T09:26:00.000-07:002011-05-17T09:26:07.126-07:00Good Service is Good Business: American Consumers Willing to Spend More With Companies That Get Service RightAmericans are placing an even greater premium on quality customer service this year. In a stronger economic environment, seven in ten Americans (70%) are willing to spend an average of 13% more with companies they believe provide excellent customer service. This is up substantially from 2010, when six in ten Americans (58%) said they would spend an average of 9% more with companies that deliver CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-91450402621829087872011-05-10T14:28:00.001-07:002011-05-10T14:28:30.172-07:00Benchmark Research Finds A Long Road Yet to Travel to Maturity of Contact CentersContact centers are in desperate need of technology transformation to meet the demands of their customers and agents, according to landmark research from Ventana Research, which is based on input from almost 500 contact centers in all industry sectors. The research makes clear for the first time the little-understood challenges faced by management, agents and customers in trying to navigate the CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-21821544516602455422011-05-10T09:07:00.000-07:002011-05-10T09:07:17.474-07:00Survey Reveals Recession Has Fundamentally Changed the IT Function as CIOs Look to a Multi-Sourced, Flexible Future Based Around Mobile DevicesHarvey Nash Group released its 2011 Harvey Nash / PA Consulting Group CIO Survey revealing that the IT function is emerging from the recession leaner, more flexible and partnering with a wider range of smaller local and offshore suppliers.
The 13th edition of the survey, undertaken by Harvey Nash in association with PA Consulting Group, reflected the views of over 2,500 technology leaders aroundCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-47791095379890619992011-05-04T08:22:00.000-07:002011-05-04T08:22:18.411-07:00New Survey Shines Light on Evolution of IT Role Within Small- and Mid-Sized BusinessesA recent survey of more than 500 decision makers shows that the IT role within small- and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) is evolving to include business development and day-to-day operations responsibilities.
The survey, conducted by Zoomerang Online Surveys and Polls, provides a glimpse of how IT is managed among SMBs and offers a snapshot of cloud computing awareness and adoption.
According to theCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-37322518715859775182011-05-03T09:01:00.000-07:002011-05-03T09:01:02.055-07:00“Spend Less, but Grow More” is Easier Said Than Done as Companies Struggle to Balance Cost Management with Growth PlansJust when America’s largest businesses thought they had solved the cost reduction-growth conundrum brought on by the Great Recession, many organizations continue to face a challenging paradox – grow more, spend less -- according to findings in Deloitte’s enterprise cost reduction survey.
The survey, which gauges the cost reduction and management practices of 139 executives in the United States CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-55154344224741616372011-05-02T13:32:00.000-07:002011-05-02T13:32:34.438-07:00Consumers Juggling Home and Mobile Electronics Devices Would Welcome One Source of Technical Help to Manage it AllConsumers who are juggling the use of their home-based and mobile consumer electronics devices would welcome integrated technical support to manage them, especially if they could turn to a single company for help, according to a study from Accenture.
Accenture conducted the survey to determine if consumers who are faced with a proliferation of new devices -- both personal and business -- CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-49723656713989419442011-04-28T09:30:00.000-07:002011-04-28T09:30:25.042-07:00Study: Call-Center Workers More Patient Than CallersRecent surveys report that customer complaints about call centers number in the hundreds of millions yearly and are on the rise. But new research focusing on center employees suggests that they are subject to a lot more mistreatment than they dish out.
A study in the current issue of The Academy of Management Journal, based on data collected daily at a call center, suggests that about 20 to 25% CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-10073061950063252162011-04-27T12:29:00.000-07:002011-04-27T12:29:34.787-07:00Survey Finds Knowledge Workers at Small & Mid-Size Firms Spend Half of Workday On Essential, But Unproductive TasksFonality, a business communications company, released the findings of the “2011 Report on UC and Cloud-based Services for SMBs” conducted by Webtorials. The study examined the productivity and communications challenges of small and mid-size businesses (SMBs). Findings revealed that Knowledge Workers at SMBs spend 50 percent of their work day on necessary, yet unproductive tasks, including routineCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-14534966347360912362011-04-26T15:55:00.000-07:002011-04-26T15:55:53.412-07:00The Secrets to Evaluating SaaS Solutions Based on your Business RequirementsSoftware-as-a-Service has moved from a new idea to the next big strategy for optimizing how IT aligns better to the business. Much of the discussions you read in blogs, RSS feeds and websites about SaaS exclusively talks about it as a technology, and gives little discussion on the implementation aspect.
The reality is it’s imperative that an enterprise develop a well-defined evaluation process CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-83086587107860144582011-04-26T08:59:00.000-07:002011-04-26T08:59:11.646-07:00Ratio of IT Support Staff to Employees Falls Short of Ideal, Survey ShowsEmployees looking for help with a frozen computer screen or a mobile application glitch may be in for a long wait. Chief information officers (CIOs) interviewed in a recent survey said their companies' technical support teams are, on average, 42 percent smaller than they would ideally be. The results are similar to a 2007 survey in which CIOs said their support teams were an average of 40 percentCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-78121054370973245602011-04-21T11:04:00.000-07:002011-04-21T11:04:59.205-07:00Survey: Companies Shifting From Recovery to Growth, but Domestic Hiring Will Likely Continue to LagChief financial officers are markedly shifting their focus from cost cutting to revenue growth, but they remain wary of increased hiring at home, according to the results of the Deloitte CFO Signals quarterly survey for the first quarter of 2011. Specifically, the CFOs surveyed said nearly half of their companies’ strategic focus is on revenue growth -- substantially ahead of their 30 percent CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-85924257271109369242011-04-14T08:54:00.000-07:002011-04-14T08:54:01.237-07:00HDI Releases First Annual HDI Desktop Support Practices & Salary ReportHDI, a global association for IT service and technical support professionals, announced it's first annual Desktop Support Practices & Salary Report, a research study that offers insights into current processes, technologies, metrics, staffing and salaries within desktop support.
Key findings of the study include:
-- Forty-six percent of desktop support organizations use remote support for more CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-85804741269782228502011-04-11T10:16:00.001-07:002011-04-11T10:16:54.134-07:00CEO Confidence Increases AgainThe Conference Board Measure of CEO Confidence, which had bounced back in the final quarter of 2010, improved further in the first quarter of 2011. The Measure now reads 67, up from 62 last quarter (a reading of more than 50 points reflects more positive than negative responses).
CEOs’ assessment of current economic conditions was much more upbeat, with 85 percent saying conditions are better CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-89880547005471058902011-04-06T08:38:00.000-07:002011-04-06T08:38:06.320-07:00Global Survey Reveals Companies Still Fail to Communicate Strategy, Nurture Top Performers, or Accurately Align Pay-for-PerformanceCompanies today are not effectively executing against strategy and the business leaders know it, with 80 percent recognizing that they are not doing their best to communicate strategy through the organization, let alone execute against it, according to new research commissioned by SuccessFactors, Inc. and Accenture. With global power shifting from West to East, the emergence of new competitors, CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-74803503552198555692011-04-04T09:31:00.000-07:002011-04-04T09:31:14.815-07:00Gartner Says Media Tablets Help Drive Worldwide IT Spending Up 5.6 Percent in 2011Worldwide IT spending is forecast to total $3.6 trillion in 2011, a 5.6 percent increase from $3.4 trillion in 2010, according to the latest outlook by Gartner, Inc. Gartner has slightly raised its outlook for 2011 from its previous forecast of 5.1 percent growth.
Gartner has added media tablets, such as the iPad, to its computing hardware spending estimates beginning this quarter. Including CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-45559143772773964532011-03-31T09:13:00.000-07:002011-03-31T09:13:08.423-07:00Harsh Reality for Contact Centers: Nearly 70% of Companies Report Agents Can’t Find Information Necessary to Resolve Customer IssuesA new survey reveals some of the most critical and costly challenges facing customer support departments, and the negative impact on customer service metrics. The survey results indicate that the biggest problems are caused by inefficient access to the information needed to solve customer issues, as data continues to proliferate beyond the traditional knowledge base and CRM.
The survey was CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-48074894578351025832011-03-29T13:44:00.000-07:002011-03-29T13:44:58.198-07:002011 Survey Results: How Support Behaviors are Changing for Mobile and Social Media EnvironmentsJust a few short years ago, the idea of a dedicated mobile support strategy seemed ludicrous for most people. Even the best smartphones were often crippled by low-resolution displays, limited functionality, and incompatible Web browsers. Users often struggled with all but the most basic document editing and e-commerce tasks, and many saw these devices as good for little more than checking e-mail CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-40664407444362390262011-03-23T09:52:00.001-07:002011-03-23T09:52:36.324-07:00Study: IT Shops Running Way Too Many ApplicationsNearly two-thirds of enterprises are supporting more or "far more" applications than they actually need to run their operations, according to a survey by Hewlett-Packard and Capgemini.
Just 4 percent of the roughly 100 IT decision-makers polled consider every system they run to be "business-critical," according to the study.
The simple cost of retiring applications was the leading reason cited CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-5557038484291875652011-03-22T09:48:00.000-07:002011-03-22T09:48:10.727-07:00New Study on Strategies for Project Recovery Reveals the Average Firm Risks Losing At Least $74 Million in Failed Projects Each YearRevealing new data from a recent PM Solutions’ benchmark study shows that organizations have a lot at stake in insuring that their projects are successful. The study, “Strategies for Project Recovery,” finds that the average firm manages US $200 million in projects each year, and more than a third of those projects -- $74 million worth -- are at risk of failing. The good news is that when projectCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-69014374843647840262011-03-21T14:30:00.000-07:002011-03-21T14:30:58.322-07:00Yankee Group Predicts Consumers Will Drive $2 Trillion Technology Market by 2014Yankee Group predicts the growing deployment of wireless and wired connectivity globally is fueling a consumer revolution that will drive $2 trillion in technology spending by 2014. Ubiquitous connectivity, truly mobile devices, content in the cloud and a plethora of apps are enabling consumers to live, work and play on the go. In this new environment, consumers are the new power brokers: They CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-68739994483692181532011-03-16T10:31:00.000-07:002011-03-16T10:31:21.108-07:00Growing APAC Contact Center Market Employs a Record 3.16 Million Agents in 2010The Asia Pacific continued to be a high-growth region for the contact center industry even during the global economic slowdown. As the effects of the slowdown started receding in 2010, spending on customer service resumed among enterprises. In 2010, to meet rising customer demand, the region recorded a 8.5 per cent growth in contact center agent seats, and by 2017, it is expected to have grown atCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-43859061257189810382011-03-14T14:39:00.000-07:002011-03-14T14:39:37.996-07:00New Cloud Survey Concludes 'Jury is Still Out' on Cost Benefits of the CloudApptio, a provider of on-demand Technology Business Management (TBM) solutions, announced the findings of a survey conducted in partnership with the Worldwide Executive Council (WEC). The survey provides fresh insights into how CIOs and other IT decision-makers at large enterprise organizations are evaluating and implementing cloud technologies, with a focus on the specific financial metrics theyCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-37370050750848631932011-03-07T14:26:00.001-08:002011-03-07T14:26:54.335-08:00Survey Shows Cloud Computing Elevating the Role of IT: Focus on Business Strategy and InnovationCA Technologies released a study indicating that cloud computing is enabling a more central role for IT in shaping business strategy and driving innovation. The vast majority of survey respondents (96 percent) believes the primary role of IT has changed over the past five years, and 71 percent expect that trend to continue over the next two years. The study, which was conducted by IDG Research CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-32780303230498294722011-03-02T09:29:00.000-08:002011-03-02T09:29:11.571-08:0090 Percent of IT Decision Makers Investing to Secure Computing EndpointsIBM released results from a survey of nearly 300 information technology (IT) decision makers on their companies' endpoint security initiatives. The study revealed that 90 percent of business leaders are investing in resources to better manage the security of their endpoints, including servers, PCs and laptops. Over half of those surveyed are also extending security to smartphones and other CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-91044934081569495662011-02-28T16:13:00.000-08:002011-02-28T16:13:40.842-08:00Survey: Closing The IT Skills GapBy many indications, the economy has shifted to expansion mode, and businesses are gearing up for renewed growth. The pace of this growth depends in large part on information technology -- the key to smart measurement, analysis and service to customer segments and markets. Are today’s IT college graduates up to the task? Are they entering the workforce with the right sets of skills that companiesCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-80244171987351119912011-02-23T13:15:00.000-08:002011-02-23T13:15:24.835-08:00Survey Indicates Renewed Improvement in Senior Executives' Economic Outlook; Anticipated Growth Driven by Increase in Consumer Confidence, Hiring and Capital InvestmentThe Corporate Executive Board released results from its quarterly Business Barometer survey, which pointed to several signs of economic improvement in the fundamentals of U.S. businesses. Driven by anticipated increases in consumer confidence, hiring and capital spending, the collective optimism of the more than 400 senior executives who participated in the survey boosted its sentiment index by CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-5046145139518693772011-02-17T09:01:00.000-08:002011-02-17T09:01:12.044-08:00Study unveils new benchmark for a powerful and profitable Online Chat customer service experienceTo validate best practices for online sales chat, TELUS International commissioned the study using an independent consulting firm, SPOT Consulting. Sixty in-depth chat sessions were conducted with six Fortune 500 companies to analyze the qualitative metrics of an ideal online chat sales session.
Key findings
Agent skills
In order to evaluate agent skills, six key variables were identified CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-52735038363322086302011-02-16T10:51:00.001-08:002011-02-16T10:51:42.015-08:00Most Competitive Intelligence Teams Struggle for VisibilityAccording to a new study by Cutting Edge Information, competitive intelligence teams struggle to gain organizational visibility, leaving them vulnerable to extinction. It stems from being buried in the company structure. Poor visibility makes competitive intelligence teams expendable to their superiors when it comes time for budget cuts. This study dissects the structural limitations that CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-44263222330968844022011-02-15T14:41:00.000-08:002011-02-15T14:41:01.296-08:00Corporate Social Responsibility Can Enhance Customer ValueCorporate social responsibility (CSR) activities have the potential to enhance customer value in many ways, The Conference Board said in a new report.
The report points out four distinct forms of CSR-related value for customers: the efficiency of a product or service, the aesthetic appreciation of consuming a product, the social status a customer acquires from using a product, and the social or CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-88858800783226673922011-02-10T12:45:00.000-08:002011-02-10T12:45:38.609-08:00Worldwide IT Spending Outperformed Expectations in 2010, Reaching $1.5 TrillionGlobal spending on information technology (IT) surged to its fastest rate of growth since 2007 last year, driven by pent-up demand for hardware upgrades and infrastructure investment after the financial crisis and global recession of 2009. According to the new International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Black Book, the global IT market grew by 8% year over year to more than $1.5 trillion at CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-36745305735732018402011-02-08T12:26:00.001-08:002011-02-08T12:27:12.396-08:00Eight Trends Driving The Future of Information TechnologyThe emerging world of information technology is one in which data is king, social platforms evolve as a new source of business intelligence, and cloud computing finally delivers on IT’s role as a driver of business growth, according to a new report from Accenture.
The Accenture Technology Vision 2011 identifies eight emerging trends that challenge long-held assumptions about IT and are poised toCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-54301529613670842452011-02-07T09:30:00.000-08:002011-02-07T09:30:07.779-08:00Five Long-Term, Overarching, and Interdependent Trends Affecting the Enterprise Software IndustryBusiness intelligence (BI), collaboration, content management, social software and supply chain management will be the top application software growth segments in 2011, according to Gartner, Inc. This year, the focus will be on modernizing packaged application systems, enabling diverse user access through software as a service (SaaS) and cloud services, and driving revenue and innovation.
CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-71370002452256889862011-02-01T09:27:00.000-08:002011-02-01T09:27:36.182-08:00Survey Finds Scope of Responsibilities Expanding for CFOsIn the wake of the economic downturn, 80 percent of senior finance executives said their scope of responsibilities has expanded, with finance also now overseeing programs in other departments across the enterprise, according to findings of a new Accenture survey.
The departments where senior finance executives most frequently said they also now manage projects include: information technology (CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-65226492826959891822011-01-31T12:29:00.000-08:002011-01-31T12:29:43.231-08:00Cloud Systems Management Software Gains Momentum with IDC Forecasting Revenues Reaching $2.5 Billion in 2015The worldwide cloud systems management software market will experience strong growth over the next several years, reaching $2.5 billion by 2015. According to new research from International Data Corporation (IDC), many IT customers can expect to manage a hybrid mix of public cloud, private cloud, and non-cloud IT resources for some time. They will need highly automated and integrated system CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-6377307040689502932011-01-24T14:18:00.000-08:002011-01-24T14:18:42.525-08:00Deloitte Analysis of Top Technology Trends for 2011Deloitte predicts a significant consumer and enterprise shift away from the desktop and laptop personal computer (PC) in favor of mobile devices like smartphones, tablets and netbooks in its forecast of top trends for the technology sector in 2011. Among Deloitte’s top forecasted technology trends for 2011, highlights include:
More than half of all computers aren’t computers anymoreIn 2011, more CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-64198691537490829862011-01-20T13:56:00.000-08:002011-01-20T13:56:50.515-08:00Tech Workers Feel 'Infinite Loop' as Wages Remain FlatTechnology professionals endured a second straight year of nearly flat salaries, according to the 2011‐2010 Annual Salary Survey from Dice, a career site for technology and engineering professionals. Tech workers, on average, garnered salary increases of about one percent (0.7%) to $79,384 from $78,845 in 2009, after receiving a similar increase the previous year.
Despite the marginal increase, CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-13556386346092685632011-01-19T13:36:00.000-08:002011-01-19T13:36:58.069-08:00Contact Centers and Customers are Getting an Overall Lackluster Performance from Self-Service StrategiesThe International Customer Management Institute (ICMI) has released its 2010 research report, Self-Service and the Multichannel Contact Center including key findings and study results. More than 400 contact center professionals from various industries and all over the world participated.
The study results show that both contact centers and customers are getting an overall lackluster performance CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-50802741029688355582011-01-18T13:39:00.000-08:002011-01-18T13:39:19.779-08:00Research Shows a Jump in Complaints About US Contact Center OperationsResearch published by ContactBabel, the contact center industry analysts, reveals that the past 2 years have seen a jump in complaints about US contact center operations, rising from almost 550m negative calls in 2008 to over 770m in 2010.
Generally, the economic downturn has driven more consumers to display negativity, stress and intolerance of mistakes, as well as there being general CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-88088055025431513792011-01-17T10:11:00.000-08:002011-01-17T10:11:20.305-08:00IT Worker Confidence Index Rises Sharply; Workers Reveal Broad-Based ConfidenceThe Technisource IT Employee Confidence Index rose 7.6 points to 58.2 in the fourth quarter of 2010, according to a recent survey commissioned by Technisource, the technology services division of SFN Group, Inc. The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, shows a significant increase in overall IT worker confidence in regards to both their personal employment situation and the larger-scale CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-25643741781771368852011-01-13T10:03:00.000-08:002011-01-13T10:03:32.585-08:00Study Reveals Need for Renewed Focus on InnovationOrganizations across EMEA agree on the need to refocus IT budgets toward IT innovation in order to improve business performance, productivity and profitability, according to a new study conducted by SAP AG. The study looked into IT spend priorities of nearly 500 senior IT decision-makers in eight countries across EMEA, and concluded that a key issue was the division of IT spend among three areas:CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-70215719690843509772011-01-11T09:13:00.000-08:002011-01-11T09:13:19.143-08:00Mixed Economic Outlook Shifts Technology DemandsGlobal IT purchases will rise 7.1 percent in 2011 to $1.7 trillion, according to new forecast data from Forrester Research, Inc. While the 2011 global tech market will look similar to the 7.2 percent market growth experienced in 2010, there are significant differences between the two years in terms of both products and geographies. The computer restocking and replacement boom that propelled the CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-8206348846664815182011-01-10T14:18:00.000-08:002011-01-10T14:18:22.190-08:00IT Hiring Is on the Uptick According to 2011 IT Salary SurveyThe 2011 Salary Survey, just released by Janco Associates and eJobDescription.com, is good news for IT job seekers. The survey shows that hiring is picking up in some sectors of the IT job market, salaries have stopped falling, and for selected positions there has been an increase in compensation - especially for CIOs. Even though many fear a second dip in the economy, CIOs in larger CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-31886692354824337722011-01-07T13:49:00.000-08:002011-01-07T13:49:11.815-08:00Worldwide IT Spending to Grow 5.1 Percent in 2011Worldwide IT spending is forecast to total $3.6 trillion in 2011, a 5.1 percent increase from 2010, according to the latest outlook by Gartner, Inc. In 2010, worldwide IT spending totaled $3.4 trillion, up 5.4 percent from 2009 levels.
Gartner has raised its outlook for 2011 global IT spending from its previous forecast of 3.5 percent growth. In 2010, the IT industry performed better than CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-47364329989814179382011-01-06T09:15:00.000-08:002011-01-06T09:15:37.092-08:00HDI Announces Release of 2010 HDI Practices & Salary ReportHDI, a global association for IT service and technical support professionals, announced the release of the 2010 HDI Practices and Salary Report, a comprehensive study that presents an overall look at the state of the IT support industry and allows managers to see how support centers are handling the demands of doing more with less in the 2010 economy.
Report highlights include:
-- As support CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-56950972789199713882011-01-04T14:19:00.000-08:002011-01-04T14:19:11.687-08:00New Survey Results Help Understand Contact Center ShrinkageKnowlagent, an agent productivity solution for the world’s 10 million call center agents, announced findings from the Contact Center Shrinkage Survey - a first of its kind for the call center industry. Shrinkage is commonly understood to be any part of an agent’s time that is consumed by activities other than customer interactions and an unavoidable operational cost for the industry.
According toCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-85889146327131123852010-12-16T14:22:00.000-08:002010-12-16T14:22:01.106-08:002010 Year in Review Offers Online Employment Trends and Glimpses at Future of WorkElance, a platform for online employment, released its 2010 Year in Review, which revealed record growth in online hiring, showcased the top skill trends in 2010 and previewed work trends to expect in 2011. The Elance 2010 Year in Review showed that a growing segment of the labor market looked beyond traditional onsite jobs and traded stressful commutes and office politics for home offices and CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-14279914102503356262010-12-14T10:07:00.000-08:002010-12-14T10:07:58.736-08:00IT Spending Improving Bit by BitFor IT organizations, the year ahead will not only be a time for rebuilding but also for innovation. Spending will remain restrained, and IT executives will continue to be asked to deliver more with less. But they are also receiving the go-ahead to take risks with projects that promise long-term improvements in the ability of IT to support new business initiatives.
A new study by Computer CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-16390183249741303602010-12-08T12:47:00.000-08:002010-12-08T12:47:35.107-08:00More CIOs Plan to Hire During First QuarterHiring in the information technology field will increase in the first quarter, according to the just-released the Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Index and Skills Report. In the latest survey, 11 percent of chief information officers (CIOs) said they plan to add information technology (IT) staff in the first three months of the year, and just 3 percent foresee cutbacks. The net 8 percent CRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9157422483555169724.post-2981761319545090262010-12-07T09:57:00.000-08:002010-12-07T09:57:14.663-08:00Nearly One-Third of Workers Holiday Shop Online at Work; Half of Employers Monitor Internet and E-mail Use of EmployeesAccording to a new survey by CareerBuilder, twenty-nine percent of workers say they have holiday shopped online at work, on par with previous years. Of those planning to shop online this year, 27 percent will spend one hour or more. More than one-in-ten (13 percent) said they will spend two hours or more. Workers should be mindful of their companies’ electronic communications policies, though, asCRMindustry.com & SupportIndustry.com Blogshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02384353656024577046noreply@blogger.com0