A study conducted by Informatica Corporation has concluded that many businesses are putting themselves at risk of data loss or security breaches, because they lack the true expertise in non-IT departments, where amateur users are executing significant decisions without involving the experts.
The report states that since figures show a 62 per cent annual increase in the amount of data which is being generated around the world, many workers are seeking more flexible solutions such as cloud computing and virtualisation, as they strive to improve productivity and the efficiency of data handling within the workplace.
Informatica is concerned that this leads to corporate systems becoming awash with varied and often competing platforms, that leave a lot to be desired in terms of security and cohesion. The firm also says that ignoring this state of affairs will mean that businesses are no longer able to generate revenue as a result of the valuable data they store going unused.
The report looked at 300 firms with over 250 workers in the UK and throughout Europe, finding that almost 40 per cent of those working in the sales and marketing divisions had complained that they had been forced to buy their own software, since their IT departments were failing to provide them with the speedy access to data that is required on a daily basis.
Informatica’s Mark Seager, explained that while cloud computing offers great opportunities for many firms, the fact that IT workers are failing to integrate it into in-house systems before other amateur employees begin to do so, can create issues further down the line.
Mr Seager said that most users expect to see improvements and changes implemented in a matter of hours and, as such, are taking the initiative where the IT departments fail to live up to their idealised view of data storage technology.
There is concern that IT will become more fragmented in the coming years if businesses do not do something to combat this dispersal of responsibility.
