Security, Virtualization Top 2010 IT Budget Wish List

by Don Sears

45% find protection of customer data and company data as the most important area of IT in 2010.

28% plan to use this performance-boosting and efficiency-laden technology in 2010.

28% want to realize the benefits of energy-reducing strategies for lowering heating, cooling and maintenance costs.

27% plan to implement telecommunications over the Internet, as VOIP technology has matured and caused major cost shifts in carrier consumption.

26% expect to implement SAAS technologies that will allow easier software rollouts and upgrades, as well as lower annual costs, and will allow IT to focus on core competencies.

20% will take advantage of internal data to help make smarter decisions on business with BI apps in 2010.

20% plan to take additional measures for data center efficiency and implement green system disposal strategies, as well as look to newer strategies that help reduce a company’s carbon footprint.

18% plan to make social networking a piece of their IT strategy either internally for employees or by tapping into existing social networks for company branding and marketing.

17% will look to those Web-based technologies that can replace aging software; supplement existing technologies with easy plug-ins; or reduce costs in office, human resources and organization technologies.