A recent survey by Hitachi Vantara, a subsidiary of Hitachi focused on modern infrastructure, data management, and digital solutions, found that 55% of enterprises are struggling to extract meaningful insights from their data. This highlights a broader need in the industry to deliver technology more quickly, reliably, and in more locations.

The survey revealed several ongoing challenges, including issues with security, inflexible systems, isolated data, a shortage of skilled workers, and the need for more agile infrastructure. These problems are made worse by rising data complexities, rigid technology environments, and increasing costs linked to aging or outdated infrastructure.

The survey, titled “Embracing ITaaS For Adaptability and Growth,” gathered insights from 213 IT leaders across North America and Europe. It focused on the IT as a Service (ITaaS) market, specifically looking at subscription- and consumption-based models. The findings show that legacy infrastructure challenges are having a negative impact on businesses. Key takeaways include:

• 56% of businesses reported significant revenue losses due to technology downtime.
• 50% of organizations are dealing with high total costs of ownership (TCO) or technical debt tied to critical applications.
• 45% of businesses are struggling with complex cloud environments.

The survey also highlights the growing adoption of ITaaS, with 42% of leaders expanding their use of it. Additional insights include:

• ITaaS Budget Allocation: IT leaders are shifting to ITaaS to conserve capital and manage operating costs more predictably. On average, they report a 20% reduction in TCO.
• Expected ITaaS Growth: ITaaS adoption is expected to increase across all infrastructure categories. Currently, 56% of respondents use ITaaS for their primary infrastructure, and this number is expected to rise to 86% in three years.
• Choosing the Right ITaaS Vendor: Infrastructure leaders emphasized the importance of selecting the right partner. Beyond pricing, key factors include the vendor’s ability to support hybrid and multicloud strategies, provide expert guidance, and enable faster innovation through seamless technology integration.

In May 2023, Hitachi Vantara commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct the survey, which involved 213 IT infrastructure decision-makers from various industries across North America and Europe. The survey focused on IT infrastructure priorities, challenges, and the role of ITaaS in addressing these issues, as well as the qualities organizations look for in an ITaaS provider.