Mid-market CIOs losing faith in IT suppliers

Research shows a growing number of mid-sized firms' CIOs are unsure the channel is up to the job of steering them through change

CIOs at mid-sized firms are becoming increasingly concerned about the channel’s ability to guide them through evolving IT cycles, and some are considering changing supplier, research has claimed.

This is according to a study by market watcher K2 Advisory entitled The Mid-market CIO: Preparing for Success, Minimising Failure, which questioned its CIO members about their thoughts on changes such as the consumerisation of IT, cloud computing and shrinking IT budgets.

Mid-sized firms in this instance are those with 200 to 500 employees.

The research also pointed out that CIOs would like IT vendors to offer more training and support to their channel partners to ensure they are more prepared to cope with change.

In total, 20 per cent of mid-sized firms questioned share concerns about the channel’s ability to support a step-change as they are faced with increasing challenges and spending constraints, leading some to admit that they were looking at alternative suppliers.

Kate Hanaghan, research manager at K2 Advisory, said: “Mid-sized organisations face a set of challenges that are specific to their size. These can include rapid headcount growth; outdated IT systems that were originally acquired when the company had far simpler requirements; serial M&A activity that rapidly grows the company and creates integration challenges; and a newly established or not fully established CIO role.

“For these reasons it is critical that organisations identify the right suppliers and the right channel partners to assist through periods of change,” she added. “Furthermore, the research argues that CIOs should not be afraid to look for alternatives and consider new types of suppliers, particularly around SaaS.”