international technology adoption & workforce issues study - canadian summary

International Technology Adoption & Workforce Issues Study

Summary for Canada

About this ResearchCompTIA’s International Technology Adoption and Workforce Issues study was conducted to collect and share information on technology adoption and workforce trends across several countries. The objectives of this research include: • Explore business and information technology (IT) priorities among organizations• Examine the usage of key technologies/solutions and IT services such as security and cloud computing• Identify which IT skills are most important to employers and if there are any skills gap issues or staffing concerns• Evaluate professional development practices such as training and certification The data for this study was collected via a quantitative online survey conducted February 22 to March 23, 2013 among 1,256 IT and business executives directly involved in setting or executing information technology policies and processes within their organizations. The 10 countries covered in this study include: Brazil (n=125); Canada (n=125); France (n=125); Germany (n=131); Japan (n=125); India (n=125); Mexico (n=125); Middle East Subset (Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates) (n=125); Thailand (n=125); United Kingdom (n=125)

Surveys were localized and translated to allow respondents to participate in their native language. Additionally, precautions were taken to minimize misinterpretations of questions. However, research has shown, cultural differences exist and can affect responses to certain question types, such as 5-point satisfaction rating questions. Viewers of this report should keep that in mind when comparing results across countries.

The margin of sampling error at 95% confidence for aggregate results is +/- 2.8 percentage points. Sampling error is larger for subgroups of the data, such as individual countries where it is +/- 8.9 percentage points. As with any survey, sampling error is only one source of possible error. While non-sampling error cannot be accurately calculated, precautionary steps were taken in all phases of the survey design, collection and processing of the data to minimize its influence. Note: because data collection occurred via an online survey, in countries where Internet penetration is lower among businesses, the non-sampling error could be higher. CompTIA is responsible for all content contained in this series. Any questions regarding the study should be directed to CompTIA Market Research staff at [email protected]. CompTIA is a member of the Marketing Research Association (MRA) and adheres to the MRA’s Code of Market Research Ethics and Standards.

Key IT Priorities for Canadian Businesses:1. IT security2. Web/online presence/e-commerce3. Updating aging computers/software4. Data storage/back-up5. Mobility related initiatives

Key Summary Points: CanadaKey Stats for Canada

$41,500 GDP per capita (PPP) | world rank: 24th

1.46% GDP growth forecast for 2013

58% % of Canadian executives expecting 2013 business conditions to be better than 2012

18.8m Total workforce

76% % of workforce employed in the services sector

0.426m Estimate of IT workforce* in core IT occupations

35% % of Canadian executives expecting to increase IT staff headcount at their business in 2013

26.96m Internet users | world rank: 16th

27.38m Mobile phone users | world rank: 37th

80% NET % of Canadian executives indicating IT is important to the success of their business

4.6% Planned increase in IT spending in 2013 (YOY)

Key Strategic Priorities for Canadian Businesses:1. Reduce costs/overhead2. Reach new customers3. Improve staff productivity/capabilities

Cybersecurity:59% of Canadian executives believe the cybersecurity threat level is increasing. Additionally, 38% of Canadian executives believe human error is a growing factor in security security incidents: Top human error related factors include:1. Increased use of social media by staff2. Failure of end-users to follow security procedures and policies IT Skills Gaps:90% of Canadian executives indicate at least some degree of gaps in IT skills at their business exists. For 39%, the reported skills gaps are small, while for 50% the gaps are more extensive. Top negative effects of IT skills gaps at Thai businesses: 1. Lower staff productivity2. Poor customer service

IT Training and Certification:90% of IT staff at Canadian businesses engaged in some type of IT training during the past 12 months.1. 60% of Canadian executives believe IT certifications will increase in

importance over the next two years; 36% believe IT certifications’ importance will remain constant

2. 73% of Canadian executives believe it’s important to test after training to confirm knowledge gains

Sources used for above stats: CompTIA, IMF, CIA World Factbook, IDC

*See appendix for definition of core IT occupations

Detailed Findings: Business and Technology Issues

Strategic Priorities Include Tech Component

Base: 1,244 business and IT executives from Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Middle East, Thailand and the UK

Source: CompTIA International Technology Adoption and Workforce Issues study

20%

76%

16%

80%

OverallCanada

Top Strategic Priorities Among Canadian Businesses for 2013

NET Unimportant

NET Important

Neutral

1. Reduce costs/overhead

2. Reach new customers

3. Improve staff productivity/capabilities

4. Innovate more effectively

5. Leverage technology to improve business

operations

58% of Canadian executives in this CompTIA survey say business conditions are improving and expect 2013 to be better than 2012.

75% expect to increase their expenditure on IT products and services over the next 12 months.

Importance of Technology to Canadian Business Success Trends Upwards

Many Businesses Seek to Improve Their Use of IT

Not at all close

Not that close

Moderately close

Very close

Exactly where_x000d_ want to be

0%

6%

49%

36%

10%

Degree to Which Canadian Businesses are “Where They Want

to Be” in Technology Utilization• IT security

• Web/online presence/e-commerce

• Updating aging computers/software

• Data storage/back-up

• Mobility related initiatives

• Network infrastructure

• Automating business processes through technology

• Disaster recovery/business continuity

• Telecommunications

Top Technology Priorities Over Next 12 Months for Canadian Businesses

Base: 125 Canadian business and IT executivesSource: CompTIA International Technology Adoption and Workforce Issues study

More than Half of Canadian Businesses have Adopted Cloud Computing to Some Degree

22% 21%

39%

17%

27%

19%

39%

14%

OverallCanada

Key Hurdles to Cloud Adoption for Canadian Businesses

Cloud Computing Adoption Stage

Full use stage

Experi-mentation

stage

Evalu- ation or Investi-gation stage

Basic aware-

ness stage

47% Security or data loss concerns

39% Challenges in developing staff expertise/ experience with cloud applications/solutions

38% Insufficient/unclear ROI

32% Cloud services still unproven/untested

30% Unclear/costly government regulation

25% Difficulty in integrating/migrating legacy applications to the cloud

21% Lack of local cloud service providers

17% Slow/unreliable internet accessBase: 1,252 business and IT executives from Brazil, Canada, France,

Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Middle East, Thailand and the UKSource: CompTIA International Technology Adoption and Workforce Issues study

Cybersecurity Risks a Growing Concern

Decreasing significantly

Decreasing moderately

No change

Increasing moderately

Increasing significantly

1%

2%

27%

44%

26%

0%

2%

39%

42% 53%

CanadaOverall

17%

Overall, 59% of Canadian Businesses Believe the Security Threat Level

has Increased during Past Two Years

• Greater interconnectivity of devices, systems

• Rise of social networking

• Growing criminalization and organization of hackers motivated by financial gain

• Greater availability of easy-to-use hacking tools, allowing more individuals to engage in hacking

• More reliance on Internet-based applications, i.e. cloud computing, software-as-a-service

• Sophistication of security threats exceeding IT staff's expertise to thwart them

• Volume of security threats exceeding capacity to thwart them

Top Factors Cited by Canadian Businesses for Increasing Security Risks



39%

Human Error is Still a Security Risk Factor

62%

38%NET increase in human error as a security risk factor

NET no change or decrease in human error as a security factor

Top Drivers of Human Error as an Rising Security Risk FactorAssessment of Human Error as

a Security Risk Factor

• Increased use of social media by staff

• Failure of end-users to follow security procedures and policies

• General negligence / carelessness towards security

• Lack of security expertise with websites and applications

• Failure of IT staff to follow security procedures and policies

• Inadequate resources - not enough IT staff time to manage security threats

• Lack of security expertise with networks, servers and other infrastructure


Detailed Findings: IT Training and Certification Issues

1 in 3 Canadian Businesses Plan to Hire IT Staff in 2013; Most Expect Challenges in Finding Workers

Decrease in IT staff

No_x000d_ change

Increase in IT staff

5%

56%

39%

6%

60%

35%

Overall

Canada

39%

61%

NET concerned about IT labor quantity or quality

NET not that concerned about IT labor quantity or quality

Concern Over Ability to Hire IT Staff2013 Hiring Intent for IT Staff



Most Businesses Seek Improvement on the IT Skills Front

Not at all close

Not that close

Moderately close

Very close

Exactly where_x000d_ want to be

1%

7%

42%

39%

10%

Assessment of how Close Canadian Businesses are to

Where They Want to be with the IT Skills of Their IT Staff 38% Lower staff productivity

30% Poor customer service/customer engagement

26% Ineffective innovation/new product development

26% Ineffective security/defending against malware

22% Speed to market with new products or services

19% Lower sales/profitability

Top Negative Impacts of IT Skills Gaps


IT Skills Rating Among Canadian Businesses

1. Teamwork

2. Customer service

3. Strong work ethic

4. Motivation/initiative

5. Flexibility and adaptability

6. Project management

7. Verbal and written communication skills

8. Analytical skills

9. Innovation / Creative problem solving

Top Rated “Soft” IT Skills1. Networks / Infrastructure

2. Server / data center management

3. Storage / data back-up

4. Database/information management

5. Data analytics / Business intelligence

6. Help Desk / IT support

7. Printers, copiers, multifunction devices

8. Security/cybersecurity

9. Customer relationship management

10. Telecommunications

11. Mobile phones/smartphones

Top Rated IT Skills in Terms of the Importance of Maintaining a High Skill Level Among IT staff

Keep in mind, many emerging technologies, such as cloud or mobility, are important to businesses, but it may not yet be the highest priority to ensure a high level of IT staff expertise. As businesses move along the adoption curve and engage in more advanced uses of cloud and mobility, staff expertise in those areas increases. Additionally, in some areas such as security, businesses may rely on outside experts for guidance, so building internal skills could be a lower priority.


Types of Training/Education Utilized by IT Staff in Past 12 Months

No training or education

Some other type of training

Webinars / Online presentation_x000d_ from an instructor or expert

Reading industry news, technical journals, etc.

E-learning / Online self-directed training

Additional college coursework

Attending industry conferences, workshops, etc.

Training course with an instructor /_x000d_ Classroom instruction

11%

8%

30%

24%

40%

23%

38%

45%

10%

3%

41%

23%

49%

23%

36%

40%

CanadaOverall



Policy Towards the Use of IT Certifications

No formal or informal position_x000d_ towards the use of IT certifications

Informal – not required,_x000d_ but valued and encouraged

Formal – IT certifications_x000d_ required for certain IT staff

21%

37%

34%

25%

41%

28%

Canada Overall



Majority of Canadian Businesses Expect IT Certifications to Increase in Importance

Significant Increase in Importance

Increase in Importance

NET Decrease

NET Increase in Importance

No Change

73% “It’s important to test after training to confirm knowledge gains”

63% “Teams of staff with IT certifications benefit from having a common foundation of knowledge”

62% “Staff with IT certifications have proven expertise”

54% “Staff holding IT certifications are more valuable to the organization”

NET Agreement (agree + strongly agree) to Statements

Expectations for Change in Importance of IT Certifications

Over Next Two Years


36%44%

0.16

Canadian Businesses are Much More Likely to Agree to Statements About IT Certifications Than Disagree

The organization is more secure from malware and hackers due to staff with IT certifications

Staff holding IT certifications are_x000d_ more valuable to the organization

Retention is higher among staff with IT certifications than non-certified staff

Staff with IT certifications perform at a_x000d_ higher level than non-certified staff

Staff with IT certifications have proven expertise

Teams of staff with IT certifications benefit from having a common foundation of knowledge

It’s important to test after training_x000d_ to confirm knowledge gains

11%

12%

18%

12%

10%

5%

4%

38%

32%

38%

41%

26%

29%

21%

48%

54%

40%

44%

62%

63%

73%

NET Disagree Neutral NET Agree


Appendix

19

U.S. Member ProfileRespondent Profile

18% Information Technology (IT) (e.g. hardware, software, IT services, consulting, reseller, telecom, distributor)

12% Manufacturing (other than IT related)

11% Professional services (other than IT related)

10% Retail/Wholesale (other than IT related)

6% Healthcare/Medical

6% Financial/Banking/Insurance

2% Media/Publishing/Entertainment

7% Government (federal, state, local)

5% AMTUC (Agriculture, Mining, Transportation, Utilities, Construction)

8% Education

3% Hospitality

13% Other industry

Primary Industry

6% 1 – 4 employees

5% 5 – 9

11% 10 – 49

17% 50 – 99

31% 100 – 499

14% 500 – 999

16% 1,000 or more employees

Staff Size


14% Executive Management (CEO, President, Managing Director, Owner, etc.)

16% Senior Management – IT function (CIO, CSO, VP of IT-related function, etc.)

20% Middle Management – IT function (Director, Manager, Team Leader etc.)

12% Staff level – IT function

7% Senior Management – business function (CFO, VP, GM of business function)

18% Middle Management – business function (Director, Manager, Team Leader etc.)

8% Staff level – business function

2% Business Consultant

3% IT Consultant

Job Role

95% Setting or influencing technology-related strategies*

94% Installing or managing hardware, software, communications and other technology*

94% Purchasing or working with vendors, providers or consultants of technology products and services*

82% Hiring or managing IT staff

Involvement in Tech (NET very + somewhat involved)

*To qualify for the survey, respondents had to be very involved or somewhat involved in at least two of these areas, with the majority of respondents being very involved.

Note: A mix of industries, company sizes, and job roles were targeted for this study.

Defining Core IT Occupations

• Computer Support Specialists• Software Developers, Applications• Computer Systems Analysts• Software Developers, Systems Software• Network and Computer Systems Administrators• Computer Programmers• Computer and Information Systems Managers• Information Security Analysts, Web Dev., and Computer Network Architects• Computer Occupations, All Other• Database Administrators• Computer Hardware Engineers• Computer and Information Research Scientists• Computer Support Specialists

For the purposes of this study, core IT occupations include positions related to the list below. In this study, certain telecommunications occupations were excluded, such as positions responsible for installing or maintaining cellular towers. Additionally, this study excludes ‘knowledge worker’ type positions, such as technical writer, graphic designer or business analyst.

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