1. IBM Data Center Tech Support Survey Results
UBM Americas
For more information contact UBM research

2. Key Take-aways & Survey Methodology
KEY FINDINGS
Nearly half of survey respondents use a combination of in- house and third-party support when their server or storage device fails. Just over one in ten reported that they solely use third-party support.
Most are happy with the quality of technical support for their datacenter devices.
Respondents like the control they have over their own staff, which is why they use in-house support exclusively.
To convince companies to switch to third-party support, suppliers must offer competitive pricing and metrics that prove the superiority of a third-party support solution.
Decisions about retiring an asset, purchasing an extended warranty, or using technical support happen frequently – about once a quarter, once a month, and in some cases, once a week.
Data center managers and senior IT managers make the final decision on selecting third-party technical support vendors.
The places decision makers turn to learn more about third- party technical support vendors are key to getting your message to data center managers and IT management. The top sources cited are peers, tech trades & sites, as well as events such as conferences and seminars, among other information sources.
METHODOLOGY
In March 2016, UBM conducted an online survey of business technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees on behalf of IBM.
Final data is based on a total of 213 qualified IT and business respondents at companies with 100 or more employees in North America.
The margin of error for the total respondent base (N=213) is +/ percentage points.
UBM was responsible for all programming and data analysis. These procedures were carried out in strict accordance with standard market research practices.

3. Respondent Demographics

4. All respondents qualified as involved in data center management or decision making at their organization
Are you involved in data center management or decision making for your group or organization?
Data: UBM survey of 213 business technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

5. All respondents work at companies with 100 or more employees
How many employees in total are in your organization?
10,000 or more
100 to 499
5,000 to 9,999
500 to 999
1,000 to 4,999
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

6. Which of the following best describes your job title?
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

7. What is your organization's primary industry?
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

8. Survey findings

9. Nearly half use a combination of in-house and third-party support when a server or storage device fails
When a server or storage device fails, how does your organization manage the failures and restore service?
We use in-house staff exclusively
We use a combination of in-house staff and third-party or OEM support
We use third-party support (other than the vendor who sold us the equipment)
We use the vendor who made the equipment
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

10. The element of control drives companies to rely on in-house staff
Why do you use in-house staff exclusively?
Base: 73 respondents who use in-house staff exclusively
Note: Multiple responses allowed
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

11. Price is key in convincing companies to switch to third-party support
What might convince you to at least explore full or partial third-party support?
Base: 73 respondents who use in-house staff exclusively
Note: Multiple responses allowed
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

12. An overwhelming majority rate their datacenter tech support as good or excellent
How would you rate the quality of technical support for your datacenter devices (such as servers, storage, networking)?
Fair
Average
Excellent
Good
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

13. Respondents believe end users would rate tech support positively as well
How do you think a typical end user in your organization would assess the quality of technical support he/she gets?
Poor
Fair
Average
Excellent
Good
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

14. Email, phone primary methods used to contact tech support staff
How can end users contact the technical support staff?
Note: Multiple responses allowed
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

15. Most common complaint about tech support is length of time taken to remedy problem
When end users complain about technical support, what are the most common complaints?
Note: Multiple responses allowed
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

16. Nearly half assess tech support services quarterly or twice a year
How often do you and/or your organization formally assess tech support services?
We don’t
Quarterly
Irregularly
Twice per year
Annually
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

17. A majority feel confident in their organization’s ability to assess the ROI of tech support
How would you rate your organization’s ability to assess the ROI of technical support to end users?
Poor to non-existent
Fair
Excellent
Average
Good
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

18. Top metrics used to assess tech support & ROI include tracking help desk calls & polling end users
What metrics or methods do you use to assess technical support quality and ROI?
Note: Multiple responses allowed
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

19. Just under half use 1 or 2 third-party vendors for tech support
How many third-party vendors are you using now for technical support?
5 or more 4
None 3 2 1
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

20. Price, delivery quality & service level guarantees are top three factors when considering third-party tech support
In considering third-party technical support, what are the most important services and functions you look for?
Overall Rank
Price 1
Delivery quality 2
Service level guarantees 3
Ability of vendor to provide services and meet SLOs 4
Range of services offered 5
Breath of IT devices (different manufacturers and models) that vendor can provide support for 6
Ease of engaging with vendor 7
Reputation of the vendor 8
Testimonials and references 9
Terms of business (payment terms) 10
Note: Score is a weighted calculation. Items ranked first are valued higher than the following ranks, the score is the sum of all weighted rank counts.
Ranked from most important (1) to least (10).
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

21. Peers, tech trades & conferences top list of information sources
Typically what sources of information would you tap to learn more about third-party technical support vendors?
Note: Multiple responses allowed
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

22. Data center management & IT make the final decision to use third-party tech support
Who in your organization has the final or principal decision-making authority when assessing and selecting a third-party technical support vendor?
Joint decision between IT and non-IT execs with non-IT exec making the final call
Other
Data center manager or other senior IT manager
Joint decision between IT and non-IT execs with IT management making the final call
A select panel of end users
Non-IT department head (CMO, VP of sales, VP of manufacturing, etc.)
Senior non-IT manager (CEO, CFO, chairman etc.)
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

23. Automated notifications are common to alert about warranty or maintenance contracts’ expiration
How do you know when your warranty/maintenance contracts for data center IT infrastructure are approaching their expiration date?
Other
Usually I don’t know
I get a notification from our manual asset management/lifecycle maintenance process
I get an automated notification from our asset management/lifecycle maintenance tool
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

24. Most notifications come about 1 to 3 months in advance
Typically how far in advance are you notified?
It varies greatly by asset and by the vendor
Under one month
6 months or more
90 days to 180 days
30 days to 60 days
60 days to 90 days
Base: 183 respondents who are notified when warranty/maintenance contracts approach expiration date
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

25. Over half make decisions once a quarter more frequently regarding retiring assets, purchasing warranties or tech support
How many times per year do you have to make decisions about retiring an asset, purchasing an extended warranty, or technical support?
Once a week
Once a year
Once a month
Every six months
Once a quarter
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

26. Average age of respondents’ oldest server is about 6 years
How old is your oldest server, storage, and/or network device?
Average age: 6.2 years
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

27. Data center & network managers responsible for tracking tech support warranty expiration
Who is responsible for tracking technical support warranty expiration?
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

28. When warranties expire, about one-third retire & replace, about one-third buy extended warranties, & one-fourth shift to in-house tech support
At warranty expiration, do you typically retire your IT assets or purchase additional maintenance/warranty?
Shift to in-house technical support
Retire and replace IT assets
Buy third-party maintenance
Buy extended OEM warranty
Data: UBM survey of 213 technology professionals involved in data center management decisions at companies with 100 or more employees, March 2016

29. Thank you!
MTC03013-USEN-00