Dell EMC State of IT Trends 2016 federal study reveals impact of digital transformation

Date : 11/2/2016

Round Rock, Texas

Federal agencies are preparing for digital transformation - a shift positioned to transform the way government operates - with cloud computing poised to make a significant impact. In Dell EMC’s State of IT Trends 2016 federal extension, a survey of federal IT leaders, 91 percent of respondents recognized cloud as an important technology trend to their agencies. Respondents also noted cloud to be their agencies’ biggest spending priority in 2016 and most significant anticipated new IT investment for the coming year.

Following cloud computing, federal IT leaders consider mobility and big data to be the most important technologies to their organizations. To support the opportunity created through these monumental IT changes, agencies need to invest in modern IT systems built on software-based environments and hyperconverged infrastructures, and become future ready.

Other key research findings include:

• Agencies are preparing for the future, with 97 percent confirming that their organization has a strategic IT plan in place

• By crafting strategic IT plans, respondents hope to increase productivity (85 percent) and lower IT costs (65 percent)

• Cloud services (68 percent) and data storage (64 percent) were noted as the biggest priorities for federal IT spending in 2016

• Cloud (52 percent) and big data (44 percent) were highlighted as the top trends agencies plan to make an initial investment in over the next year

• Nearly all respondents (93 percent) consider mobility and converged infrastructure to be the most important attributes of a future-ready organization. Earlier this month, Dell Technologies announced results of its Digital Transformation survey. The survey of global business leaders complemented the federal results, finding converged infrastructure at the top of global business leaders planned IT investment list.

While it is impossible to completely predict what lies ahead in today’s ever evolving IT landscape, federal agencies can take steps to prepare for the future. With nearly all respondents confirming that they have a strategic IT plan in place, agencies have taken a critical first step and are positioned as digital evaluators and adopters on Dell Technologies’ Digital Transformation Index. To support the possibilities of digital transformation, federal agency IT plans need to incorporate scalable, agile, software-based environments. Through flexible and mission-centric technologies, agencies are not only able to increase efficiency and productivity, but can cut maintenance costs and fully reap the value of digital transformation.

Supporting quote:

Steve Harris, vice president and general manager, Dell EMC Federal

"Federal agencies largely appreciate the value of digital transformation, considering cloud, mobility and big data important to their organizations. These technologies are positioned to revolutionize how government does business and interacts with its constituents. Digital transformation also demands agencies modernize their IT systems. With IT plans defined by incremental steps toward modernization and flexible software-based solutions, agencies are equipped to support tomorrow’s technology innovation and meet today’s mission goals."

About the survey

The Dell EMC-sponsored research was performed by PSB, who conducted an online survey in May 2016 among 100 federal government IT Decision-Makers (ITDMs) and Business Decision Makers (BDMs). This survey was conducted as an extension of the State of IT Trends 2016 study, in which PSB conducted 1,200 online interviews between April 15 and May 4, 2016, in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Japan, Brazil, India and China. The respondents consist of 700 ITDMs and 500 BDMs.