It is exciting to contemplate all of the new technologies that will launch in 2008, or will reach a more affordable price point. Few of these new opportunities, however, will make their way into most IT shops. IT departments have always struggled to maintain or grow their budgets to meet expanding demands. While the unit cost of processors, storage and bandwidth continues to drop, new applications require the reinvestment of these savings into more capacity, and enterprises have to upgrade network services/management to support new stringent service levels. Each application creates a legacy of support requirements and significant labor costs after deployment.
In 2008, the challenge will become significantly more difficult. There will be no shortage of opportunity. There will be pressure to reduce 2008 budgets. Our most recent surveys show that most IT groups are still bullish on 2008. Info-Tech believes that this optimism is not realistic. IT leaders should consider how to adapt their planning if their enterprise faces increased financial constraints.
