Exploring the value of IT professionals through UK end users’ attitudes and opinions about IT Professionals and the business technology they support.

1. IT PRO VALUE SURVEY:
THE END USER’S PERSPECTIVE
S URV E Y CO NDUCTE D BY HARRI S P O LL
J ULY 2 0 1 5
E X P LO RI NG THE V ALUE O F I T P RO FE S S I O NALS
THRO UG H E ND US E RS ’ ATTI TUDE S AND
O P I NI O NS ABO UT I T P RO FE S S I O NALS AND THE
BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY THEY SUPPORT
(UNI TE D KI NG DO M)

2. STUDY OVERVIEW
This survey was conducted online within the United Kingdom by Harris
Poll on behalf of SolarWinds from July 8-10, 2015 among 1,032 adults
ages 18 and older, among whom 479 are employed but not as an IT
professional or executive.
2
S C O P E AN D D E M O G R AP H I C S
© 2015 SOLARWINDS WORLDWIDE, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

3. KEY FINDINGS
• 66% of end users identify a type of technology (computer, software, smartphone
or tablet) as among the most important in their daily work life. Nearly half (48%)
say their computer, while three in ten say a smartphone (29%), 23% say
software and 11% say a tablet is among the most important in their daily work
life.
• Just about one third (32%) say personnel is among the most important in their
daily work life, with one in ten (11%) indicating administrative assistants and
business operations managers (10%).
3
E N D U S E R S P L AC E G R E ATE R I M P O R TAN C E O N TH E
TE C H N O L O G Y S U P P O R TE D B Y I T P R O F E S S I O N AL S I N
TH E W O R K P L AC E — S U C H AS S M AR T P H O N E S ,
TAB L E T S , C O M P U TE R S AN D S O F TWAR E — T H A N TH E Y
D O O N P E R S O N N E L
© 2015 SOLARWINDS WORLDWIDE, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Question: Which of the following would you say are the most important in your daily work life? Please select up to three items.
• Computer
• Smartphone
• Tablet
• Software (e.g., email, CRM, word processing
and spreadsheet applications)
• IT professional(s)
• Administrative assistant
• CEO
• HR professional(s)
• Legal department
• Procurement department
• Project manager
• Business operations manager
• Other

4. KEY FINDINGS
• Two thirds (66%) say it would take them more time to complete a typical day’s
worth of work without the use of the technology typically maintained by the IT
department or professionals employed by the company in which they work, with
29% saying one day’s work would take an additional business day or longer.
12% of employees say it would not be possible to carry out their daily work
without the technology supported by IT professionals.
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A M AJ O R I TY O F E N D U S E R S I N D I C AT E W O R K
P R O D U C TI V I TY I S L O S T W I TH O U T TH E TE C H N O L O G Y
S U P P O R TE D B Y I T P R O F E S S I O N AL S
© 2015 SOLARWINDS WORLDWIDE, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Question: How much more time, if any, would it take you to complete a typical day’s worth of work without the use of the technology that is
typically maintained by IT professionals (e.g., computers, software and telephone systems)?
• An hour or less
• More than an hour, but less than a business
day
• One business day
• More than one business day, but less than a
business week
• A business week
• More than one business week
• It would not be possible to carry out my daily
work without the technology supported by IT
professionals.
• No additional time
• Not applicable

5. KEY FINDINGS
• Seven in ten (70%) agree that their company’s IT department going on vacation
for a month would have a greater impact on their daily work life than if their
company’s executive leadership did.
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M O S T E N D U S E R S AG R E E TH AT I T H AS A G R E ATE R
I M PAC T O N TH E I R D AI LY W O R K L I V E S TH AN TH E C -
S U I TE
© 2015 SOLARWINDS WORLDWIDE, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Question: How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
My company’s IT department going on vacation for a month would have a greater impact on my daily work life than if my company’s executive
leadership (e.g., CEO, CFO, CMO) did.
• Strongly disagree
• Somewhat disagree
• Somewhat agree
• Strongly agree
• Not applicable

6. KEY FINDINGS
• Two thirds (66%) of end users say they do not understand or understand only a
little about the role IT professionals employed by their company, beyond helping
them as an end user resolve their technology issues.
• Four in five (80%) of those who work for a company that employs IT
professionals say they ask for technical help/support from their IT professionals.
More than half (53%) ask for help/support from IT professionals monthly or more
frequently.
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W H I L E TH E R O L E O F TH E I T P R O F E S S I O N AL I N I TS
E N TI R E TY I S N O T ALWAY S W E L L U N D E R S TO O D B Y
E N D U S E R S , TH E Y K N O W W H O TO C AL L O N W H E N
TH E Y H AV E A TE C H N O L O G Y P R O B L E M
© 2015 SOLARWINDS WORLDWIDE, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Question: How well, if at all, do you understand the role of IT professionals beyond helping you as an end user resolve your technology issues?
• I do not understand at all
• I understand a little
• I understand a lot
• I understand very well
Question: On average, how often, if ever, do you ask for technical help or other forms of support from IT professionals at work?
• Multiple times a day
• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• A few times a year
• Once a year
• Less than once a year
• Never

7. The SolarWinds and SolarWinds & Design marks are the
exclusive property of SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC and its
affiliates, are registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office, and may be registered or pending registration in other
countries. All other SolarWinds trademarks, service marks,
and logos may be common law marks, registered or pending
registration in the United States or in other countries. All
other trademarks mentioned herein are used for identification
purposes only and may be or are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective companies.
© 2015 SOLARWINDS WORLDWIDE, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.