Cloud technologies are key to Hong Kong businesses according to a new report from SolarWinds – but containers, blockchain and robotics still have a fair way to go yet.
The findings appear in the company’s latest IT trends report, ‘The Intersection of Hype and Performance.’ The research polled 75 IT practitioners, managers and directors in Hong Kong – with the overall research quizzing more than 800 respondents across four continents – and found cloud and hybrid IT was the most important technology and management tool for organisations’ strategy today, cited by 92% of those polled.
Big data and analytics, cited by 77% of respondents, was also a key tool, ahead of automation (71%), software-defined everything (SDx) (52%), and the Internet of Things (51%). Containers scored 29%, while blockchain (11%) and robotics (9%) fared poorly.
Worryingly, 61% said their IT environment was not performing at its optimal level, compared with only 19% who said it was. In something of an anomaly, 38% of mid-sized businesses said their IT was at optimal level, compared with only 11% for SMBs and enterprises respectively.
Cloud ranked highly in the vast majority of questions asked. Almost half (49%) of overall respondents said it had the best potential to deliver highest ROI, alongside big data (49%) and automation (47%). 52% of overall respondents – rising to 67% for smaller businesses – said cloud had the greatest potential to deliver further productivity, while 73% identified it as a ‘transformational’ technology, albeit behind big data analytics (85%).
The report notes the importance of automation as forming the next generation of cloud services – a trend this publication has reported on frequently this year. “Where the C-suite considers AI, ML, and deep learning to be fundamental elements of digital transformation, IT professionals are looking toward the technology and processes that underpin continuous integration and delivery – which ultimately enable enhanced performance and digital experience in today’s environments,” the report explains.
Hong Kong is one of the most advanced cloud nations, hitting top spot in the most recent analysis from the Asia Cloud Computing Association (ACCA). The region was praised specifically for its ‘tradition of robust future planning and a strong tech industry… ensuring [its] infrastructure is primed for fast, reliable and secure cloud offerings targeting the entire region.’
“In 2018 more than ever, IT professionals have an opportunity to continue identifying ways to optimise the digital experience for end users in hybrid IT environments while prioritising investments in technologies that will deliver business value visible well beyond IT,” the report concludes. “IT must also be the convening voice in business discussions, showcasing the ongoing value of IT professionals as the partners to the business, supplying expertise and experience on the technologies that will enable the business to deliver digital transformation success.”
You can read the full report here (pdf).