Softchoice, VMware study finds most organizations have outdated datacenter

TORONTO--With the rise of mobile and cloud computing, most organizations lack the IT infrastructure needed to respond quickly to front office and customer needs, according to a new study by Softchoice, a North American technology solutions and services provider, and VMware, the industry-leading virtualization software company. The study also reveals a significant competitive gap between organizations with an agile, efficient IT infrastructure and those without.

"With cloud and mobile's enterprise footprint expanding, more front office workers are empowered to choose their own technology and apps," says Doug Sekus, Softchoice's Director of Business Development, Datacenter. "We've found most organizations' outdated datacenters are struggling to keep up with employees' and clients' growing demands."

In The Virtual Space Race: How IT with 'The Right Stuff' creates a competitive advantage, Softchoice and VMware surveyed IT managers and line-of-business managers in the U.S. to examine their expectations around IT department responsiveness and IT infrastructure agility.

Some highlights include:

• IT departments with the right infrastructure are 4x more likely to deploy new applications within one business week compared to those that don't

• 58% of organizations take over a month to deploy new applications

• 61% of organizations still virtualize less than half of their IT environments

• 46% of organizations still have no hybrid cloud capabilities

The study confirms that IT departments with sufficient infrastructure are far more likely to be viewed as strategic partners by the rest of their organization. Their ability to quickly deploy and manage apps, on and off premises, gives them a competitive advantage and gets them to market quicker.

"Organizations with IT infrastructure that is highly virtualized, highly automated, and that supports software-defined solutions can implement new processes faster, respond to employee needs quicker, and focus more time on growth and innovation," Sekus says. "Leveraging new technology to go to market faster is the new, virtual space race and organizations with the right IT infrastructure are winning the race."

As a leading North American provider of technology solutions and services, Softchoice combines the efficiency and reliability of a national IT supplier with the personal touch and technical expertise of a local solutions provider. Softchoice's holistic approach to technology includes solution design, implementation, asset management and cloud services, as well as access to one of the most comprehensive and cost-effective technology distribution networks in North America.