BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA--(Marketwire - Mar 28, 2013) - Australian IT managers predict the biggest challenge of the National Broadband Network ("NBN") is the increased network complexity and demand for specialised IT skills, according to a new survey conducted by SolarWinds (NYSE: [ SWI ]). These results are part of a wide-ranging survey of more than 200 Australia-based IT Professionals, conducted in March 2013.

Contrary to the current narrative around specialist skills in the IT sector, the SolarWinds Future of the IT Pro study (the "Study") found that 52 percent of IT Managers anticipate IT skills to be a key challenge in managing IT environments in the NBN era, while 56 percent also agree that network complexity will be the other core challenge of the NBN.

The Study, found that almost two-thirds (59 percent) of IT Managers expect to increase levels of outsourcing in the next 3 to 5 years, including 66 percent of those who already outsource more than a fifth of their IT functions.

The Study also points to a need for IT managers to develop more specialised skills in an era where the NBN dictates a more challenging environment and outsourcing is becoming increasingly prevalent.

"Higher bandwidth means that outsourcing can be performed more efficiently and cost effectively; however, the new infrastructure also poses highly technical challenges which can be solved by increasing IT specialisation and ensuring they have access to the correct tools," said Sanjay Castelino, VP and Market Leader, SolarWinds.

According to the Study, a significant number of IT managers already see a need for more specialised skills as a career opportunity: 38 percent say they would seriously consider taking up a role in a dedicated IT services company, with 23 percent already doing so.

"IT professionals are seeing that IT-as-a-service offers them significant benefits, particularly as complex infrastructural platforms drive demand for highly specialised skills in areas like networking and security," said Castelino. "However, many IT managers are also realising that outsourcing may not be the best solution for every technical issue: our survey suggests that in-house personnel will play an increasingly critical role in safeguarding sensitive technical functions within the business."

The Study found that despite expecting outsourcing to grow overall, more than one in two organisations are bringing certain IT functions back in-house, particularly those where risk management is a major consideration, 61 percent plan to reintroduce data storage and access as internally-managed functions, with that figure rising to almost 75 percent for organisations with more than 100 employees. When it comes to cyber-security, 56 percent plan to return IT functions to within the organisation, with 62 percent citing security maintenance as a major challenge in the next 3 to 5 years.

"For IT managers, future success will be dependent on having the correct specialised skills to keep up with complex challenges in a fast-evolving landscape, as well as powerful yet flexible tools, which enable them to manage such challenges on their own terms," continued Castelino. "Technologists with high levels of specialisation, particularly in adapting systems and networks to a NBN-enabled landscape, will find success not only in dedicated IT firms but also as in-house consultants playing an increasingly strategic business role."

About SolarWinds
SolarWinds (NYSE: [ SWI ]) provides powerful and affordable IT management software to customers worldwide from Fortune 500 enterprises to small businesses. In all of our market areas, our approach is consistent. We focus exclusively on IT Pros and strive to eliminate the complexity that they have been forced to accept from traditional enterprise software vendors. SolarWinds delivers on this commitment with unexpected simplicity through products that are easy to find, buy, use and maintain while providing the power to address any IT management problem on any scale. Our solutions are rooted in our deep connection to our user base, which interacts in our online community, thwack, to solve problems, share technology and best practices, and directly participate in our product development process. Learn more today at [ http://www.solarwinds.com/ ].

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