Survey looks at business continuity priorities of Australian CIOs

One third of CIOs said the loss of data communications would bring their business to a standstill, an annual survey of Australian CIOs has found. In its second year, the survey findings also indicate that voice telephony is critical for 36 percent of businesses. This figure has remained unchanged over the past 12 months. The criticality of data communications, on the other hand, has increased by 10 percent since the 2006 survey.

Commissioned by Uecomm and conducted by Fairfax Business Research, the survey questioned chief information officers around Australia on their telecommunication priorities.

Uecomm's director of strategy, Brendan Park said the increasing importance of data communications to business continuity highlights the need for high-speed networks that are capable of supporting the demands of mission critical and time sensitive information.

"Core business applications are driving the reliance on real-time network availability. The shift to unified communications and VoIP is becoming important as organizations rely on IP-based networks for business operations. This reliance is placing an unprecedented demand on existing communication systems to meet business priorities, and provide the reliability and scalability required," Mr Park said.

Significantly, the survey found that system replacement, upgrade or migration of the network was a key priority for 69 percent of CIOs in the coming year. Planning for current and future needs were also an issue for 33 percent and managing budget limitations was the third biggest priority for 29 percent of CIOs.

Whilst cost reduction is seen as a key responsibility for all CIOs, the findings indicate the intention to invest in network capability over the next 12 months outweigh budget concerns.

http://www.uecomm.com.au

•Date: 26th October 2007• Region: Australia •Type: Article •Topic: BC statistics
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