2014 State of the Network Study

Technology Adoption Trends & Their Impact on the Network

Purpose and Methodology

Survey Sample
Total Respondents Margin of Error Audience Base 282 +/- 5.8% Network World Online

Survey Goal
To help technology marketers inform their product development, marketing, and messaging strategies for 2014. To pinpoint where IT executives and professionals are with initiatives within existing and emerging technologies.

Survey Method
Collection
Number of Questions

Online Questionnaire
21 (w/demographic questions)

Source: 2014 State of the Network Study, Network World

2014 Budget Outlook: Growth Ahead

Q. How do you expect your total IT budget will change in the next 12 months compared to the last 12 months?

Source: 2014 State of the Network Study, Network World

Business & Tech Objectives Align, Focus on Cost Cutting

TOP BUSINESS OBJECTIVES

Decrease operation costs (54%)

TOP TECHNOLOGY OBJECTIVES

Lower IT operation costs by consolidation/simplification (55%) Improve security/risk management (50%)

Increase revenue (51%) Improve business process efficiencies (46%) Increase worker productivity (44%) Improve customer relationships (36%)

Boost end-user workforce productivity (43%)

Adopt technologies that allow for sharing of resources (40%)

Increase/enable mobility (e.g. BYOD programs, consumer technologies) (40%)

Q. What are your companys top business objectives over the next 12 months? AND Q. What are your companys top technology objectives over the next 12 months?
4 Source: 2014 State of the Network Study, Network World

Wi-Fi Substantial Driver of Productivity

EXPANDING THE WI-FI NETWORK THROUGHOUT THE ORGANIZATION
Have achieved or installed or in production 802.11ac (GIGABIT WI-FI) Have achieved or installed or in production Piloting On our radar/Actively researching

33% 13%

9% 10%

Piloting
On our radar/Actively researching

22%

43%

Q. Which of the following best describes your organizations plans with respect to the following productivity-related initiatives? AND Q. Please rate your level of agreement with the following statements. AND Q. What are the top challenges and obstacles that your organization is facing with regard to Wi-Fi?
5 Source: 2014 State of the Network Study, Network World

Full Business Value from BYOD Has Yet to Emerge

FORMAL SUPPORT FOR TABLETS

BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE (BYOD) FORMAL POLICY

INTEGRATED UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT IN MORE DEVICES

EXPANDING ACCESS TO CORPORATE RESOURCES FROM MOBILE DEVICES

SMARTPHONES & TABLETS AS LAPTOP REPLACEMENTS FOR MOBILE WORKERS

Have achieved or installed or in production

20%
17%

18%
18%

14%
14%

10%
19%

8%
15%

Piloting
On our radar/ Actively researching

35%

34%

33%

47%

44%

Q. Which of the following best describes your organizations plans with respect to the following productivity-related initiatives?
6 Source: 2014 State of the Network Study, Network World

Flexibility, Simplification & Speed Top Benefits of SDN

Increased network flexibiltiy

Simplified network operation and management Faster network service configuration and delivery Improved ability to automate network functions

38% 29% 26% 24%

Increased customiziation of the network

Improved network uptime/availability Reduced OPEX Reduced CAPEX

24%
21% 16% 15%

Q. Please rate your level of agreement with the following statements. AND Q. Which of the following benefits has your organization experienced, or do you anticipate your organization will experience, from software defined networking (SDN) technology?
7 Source: 2014 State of the Network Study, Network World

Conclusion
Organizations are seeing IT budget growth with three-quarters of respondents

anticipating budgets will hold firm or increase for 2014.

ITs role with business and technology objectives aligned closely with the most

attention focused on the priority of lowering operation costs.

When it comes to enabling workforce productivity, a substantial driver and the

greatest effort is being made in the area of improving WiFi connectivity

Full business value from BYOD has yet to emerge; however, 40 percent of

respondents agree that increasing/enabling mobility will be a top objective within the next 12 months.
Research shows that IT decision-makers are taking note of the business value

from Software-Defined Networking (SDN). More than a third (36%) of respondents agreed that SDN will radically change their network for the better, and 42% are actively researching or have SDN on their radar.

Learn More
For more information on this study, please contact Sue Yanovitch, VP, Marketing of IDG Enterprise at syanovitch@idgenterprise.com.