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Calling All IT Superheroes: Germany's IT Professionals See Security as the Key Emerging Issue(Marketwire Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) CORK, IRELAND -- (Marketwired) -- 02/04/14 -- SolarWinds (NYSE: SWI), a leading provider of powerful and affordable IT management software, today released the results of its New IT Survey* which sheds light on the evolving role of the modern IT professional in today's technology-driven business environment. Specifically, the survey results reveal that information security will be the primary issue for most IT professionals over the next five years, and sixty-five per cent of respondents are confident that their skillset requirements will need to be improved. Fielded in November 2013, the survey yielded responses from 152 IT practitioners, managers and directors in Germany from small, mid-size and enterprise companies. "The days of IT's limited impact on business are long gone, replaced by the modern era of almost complete reliance on technology and the incredibly complex infrastructure it brings with it, " said Lawrence Garvin, Head Geek, SolarWinds. "Something as simple as an incorrect server configuration can lead to loss of access to cloud-based applications and data, email server outages and ecommerce site shutdowns, which can all have a tremendous negative impact on productivity and revenue generation. As a result, more businesses recognize that IT holds an important key to success. Likewise, IT professionals can no longer be content to stay within their traditional role. Instead, they must be prepared to take on a leadership position within strategic business initiatives." Survey Findings: IT professionals were asked how the role of IT has changed in Germany over the past five years, and what requirements must they meet to keep pace with technological developments. Their responses show that the IT landscape has undergone major changes in recent years. The IT infrastructure of German companies is becoming increasingly complex due to new technologies such as virtualization, mobility and cloud. Accordingly, the role and responsibilities of the IT professionals has also changed and adapted to the technical developments in the past three to five years. This was confirmed by 97 per cent of the respondents. Almost half (45 per cent) of those surveyed indicated that they need more training in order to look after their responsibilities adequately. Only one-third (36 per cent) believe that their professional skills are sufficient. A further third said they need a better understanding of business processes. Skills for the IT Superhero The study also revealed which competencies IT administrators must have in order to become a true IT superhero of tomorrow. Nearly two-thirds (65 per cent) of all surveyed IT professionals are convinced that information security will be the most important IT skill in the coming years, followed by mobile apps, device management and cloud /SaaS. According to 54 per cent of survey respondents, IT administrators need to be more up-to-date and prepared of the future developments of IT security, data protection and privacy. *The survey was conducted from November 12-18, 2013, resulting in 152 survey responses from IT practitioners, managers and directors in the Germany from small, mid-size and enterprise companies. SolarWinds will be releasing additional survey data in the coming weeks on IT professionals in the US and Canada, Australia, UK and Brazil. Additional ResourcesSlideShare: New IT Survey: Germany Connect with SolarWindsthwack Twitter Facebook LinkedIn About SolarWindsSolarWinds (NYSE: SWI) provides powerful and affordable IT management software to customers worldwide from Fortune 500 enterprises to small businesses. In all of our market areas, our approach is consistent. We focus exclusively on IT pros and strive to eliminate the complexity that they have been forced to accept from traditional enterprise software vendors. SolarWinds delivers on this commitment with unexpected simplicity through products that are easy to find, buy, use and maintain while providing the power to address any IT management problem on any scale. Our solutions are rooted in our deep connection to our user base, which interacts in our online community, thwack, to solve problems, share technology and best practices, and directly participate in our product development process. Learn more today at http://www.solarwinds.com/. SolarWinds, SolarWinds.com and thwack are registered trademarks of SolarWinds. All other company and product names mentioned are used only for identification purposes and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Contact: Sandra Junger Text100 +49 (0)89 / 9983 70-22 [email protected] Katherine O'Keeffe SolarWinds +353 (0) 21 500 2954 [email protected] Source: SolarWinds |