Each week Pearlfinders investigates a particular issue that is affecting companies' technology spend. Below you'll see recent reports, with links to trial access of Pearlfinders if they're of interest.
Data storage and protection within charities
Data protection has been highlighted by many UK organisations as a key area of spend when it comes to security over the next 12 months, with high-profile media cases driving awareness of this issue in recent years. We spoke to decision-makers at UK charities about how they're coping with this increased focus on security, what they're doing to ensure data protection and the challenges on the horizon.Emerging technology in schools
With Education Secretary Michael Gove outlining plans to overhaul the UK curriculum for ICT in schools earlier in the month, the use of technology as a method to support teaching has recently come under scrutiny. We spoke to a number of educational establishments across the UK to get a better idea as to how they are adopting creative solutions to maintain up-to-date IT services for students.IT's Influence on the Health and Fitness Sector
With 2012 being heralded as the UK's "Year of Sport", the health and fitness sector is expecting an increase in demand from customers keen to emulate their sporting heroes and get in shape. Pearlfinders spoke to a range of companies in the sector, to get an understanding of just how this likely increase in demand is going to be coped with from a technology perspective. Emerging technology at luxury brands
Luxury brands are bouncing back after the global recession, fuelled by demand from emerging markets. The worldwide market stood at €172bn last year and luxury goods sales are expected to reach €185bn this year, with fast growth set to remain. Pearlfinders spoke to decision-makers at four of Britain’s top luxury brands.The Pearlfinders Index - Quarter 4 2011
All the data for Q4 2011 - as well as data on the hottest sectors, technologies sought, regions and methods of prospecting budget-holders, we have also profiled three key areas in depth: Cloud Computing, Virtualisation and Unified Communications/Collaboration.Financial services in Scotland
The media has recently highlighted the performance of Scotland's financial services sector, which has risen from a low point three years ago when the UK government was forced to intervene and rescue Royal Bank of Scotland and HBOS. To get a clearer picture of the role IT has played in the resurgence of the finance sector north of the border, we spoke to four leading financial services companies investing in Scotland. The 2011 National Business Awards
November saw the National Business Awards 2011, celebrating the achievements of 1,100 of Britain's entrepreneurs and business leaders over the last 12 months. To understand the role that IT investment is playing in the success of these businesses, we spoke to decision-makers at four of the nominees...Technology powering UK construction
To investigate the role technology is playing in the UK construction industry, Pearlfinders spoke with IT decision-makers at four of the 100 largest construction companies in the UK...The 2011 Fast Track 100
The latest Sunday Times Fast Track 100 was published this week, a piece of research that aims to profile those UK-based companies that have experienced the fastest growth in sales over the last three years. To understand the extent to which members of this year's Fast Track are set to invest further in IT products and services, Pearlfinders has spoken to four of those included on the list...The unique challenges of legal IT
For solicitors, the challenge is to demonstrate to the business world and the public that they're still the place to turn for legal counsel. To achieve this, firms are continuing to invest in gaining the most efficient output possible from their fee-earning lawyers. For IT departments, this means empowering those working remotely so that every hour worked can be billed to clients. We spoke to four of the UK's top-50 law firms to explore current issues in legal IT...The Green Business Awards 2011
November 1st saw the ceremony for the 2011 Green Business Awards, celebrating the achievements of companies in green practice, products and strategy. With categories from Transport to the Built Environment, the event saw a wide range of businesses shortlisted to receive recognition. Data from the Pearlfinders Index suggests that sustainability has become less of a driver behind technology investment over the last 12 months... IT at the UK's New Universities
The last ten years have seen the creation of over 30 "new" universities. This second wave of higher education institutions being granted university status – the first being the old polytechnics that became universities after the Further & Higher Education Act in 1992 – means that prospective students’ choices are broader than ever.The UK's Regional Growth Fund
At the end of last month, the government announced an investment of £950m designed to boost jobs and growth in regions outside London's Square Mile. 119 chosen bids for this Regional Growth Fund (RGF) from businesses and local partnerships will – the government says – create and safeguard more than 200,000 jobs in the companies and their associated supply chains.Connectivity Challenges in Finance, Healthcare and Professional Services
During the course of Pearlfinders' research over the last 12 months, we have regularly encountered Mid-Cap businesses planning to aggressively expand their office footprint. Whether it's organic growth or expansion through acquisition, the integration of new offices into the corporate network is a challenge for IT Directors at the businesses involved.The 'Energi Coast' – growth in the UK's offshore wind sector
Last week saw the establishment of a cluster group of 19 businesses involved in the fast-growing offshore wind sector. To explore how the IT departments at businesses involved expect to cope with this growth, and to investigate the challenging conditions in which they have to deliver an IT infrastructure, Pearlfinders has spoken to four members of the 'Energi Coast'.The Sunday Times Top Track 250 2011
Each year for the past seven years, the Sunday Times has published its Top Track 250 league table. This piece of research – a sister publication to the Top Track 100 – identifies the 101st to 350th largest private companies in Britain, as long as sales or profits have increased in their most recent accounts. Pearlfinders spoke to four members of this year's Top Track 250 to understand the extent to which Information Technology investment is driving their success.The Pearlfinders Index - Quarter 3 2011
All the data for Q3 2011 - as well as data on the hottest sectors, technologies sought, regions and methods of prospecting budget-holders, we have also profiled three key areas in depth: Cloud Computing, Virtualisation and Unified Communications/Collaboration.The UK IT Industry Awards 2011
The annual UK IT Industry Awards, run by the BCS in association with Computing Magazine, aims to reward companies, project teams and individuals for excellence in IT. With initial judging of the 23 categories having taken place in August, finalists were recently invited to give presentations to the panel of judges to state their case. Ahead of the awards ceremony in London on November 10, Pearlfinders has spoken with four organisations nominated across various categories.Britain's Brightest Businesses - Part 2
Following our research on four of the larger members of the Telegraph 1000 last week, Pearlfinders has spoken with another four companies featured, each with revenue of £100m+. This time around, the companies we investigated were working towards the bleeding edge, with tablet trials, rugged PDAs, e-commerce platforms and the consumerisation of IT all being investigated.Britain's Brightest Businesses
In a recent feature The Telegraph mapped out 1,000 privately-owned and AIM-listed companies that are expanding revenues and creating jobs. Compiled in collaboration with innovation agency NESTA, the list aims to pick out businesses that have demonstrated resilience despite a challenging economic environment.A new chapter in publishing IT
Over the last few years, the world of publishing has undergone a major shift. The arrival of digital publishing, downloadable books and e-reading devices was a make-or-break challenge for publishing houses of all sizes. As such, we asked the question, what impact is this publishing revolution having on IT functions and how is it changing publishers' IT requirements? Most importantly, what can suppliers do now to help IT decision-makers to meet these challenges head on?Technology within UK Building Societies
It was recently reported that all but four of the UK’s 48 building societies were profitable in that last year despite the difficult trading conditions being faced by most financial institutions right now. We have spoken with decision-makers in a range of national and regional building societies in order to gauge what role technology is playing in this positive sector momentum, and how a traditionally conservative financial sector is turning to IT to support business growth.Family Owned Firms
The Institute for Family Business (IFB) recently conducted its annual Top 10 UK Family-owned Business Survey, profiling the current status of the UK's largest family-owned firms. We spoke to three of the companies on the list to investigate how their ownership structure impacts upon IT investment decisions, and to explore the role IT is playing in their ongoing expansion.Preparing for London 2012
With less than a year to go until the London 2012 Olympic Games, experts have expressed concerns as to the capital's preparedness for the event and its impact on day-to-day activities. The supply chain supporting London will be disrupted for up to three months next summer, and public sector bodies such as the London Development Agency are worried that businesses do not realise the impact this is going to have on them.Security in the cloud
IT decision-makers can normally be split into two camps when it comes to cloud computing. On one hand, there are the sceptics, those who feel it's a risky, gimmicky rebranding of an old technology. On the other, there are those who believe it is the future, and that within a decade all companies will operate an entirely virtual infrastructure, with nothing hosted in-house. Recent high profile security breaches at Sony and Google, as well as outages caused by adverse weather conditions at Amazon, have led to questions being raised about the technology and how appropriate it is for the enterprise.The return of the football season
The return of the football season in August each year is a highlight of many a fan's sporting calendar. As well as being the country's favourite sport, football is also big business in the UK and most clubs in the Premier League and the Championship run sizeable enterprises to rival many companies. With the new season upon us, we spoke to IT decision-makers within the sector, to understand their needs and the challenges suppliers can help them with. IT consumerisation and the enterprise
The growing consumerisation of IT is a phenomenon we are hearing more and more about from IT decision-makers, who are citing this a primary day-to-day challenge. According to a recent poll, over a third of all adults now use smartphones, and devices such as the iPad and BlackBerry PlayBook are becoming "can't-live-without" gadgets. Security is just one issue that the consumerisation of IT has thrown up, not to mention managing users' expectations and deciding how flexible to be. We decided to speak to IT decision-makers in such enterprises to get some perspective on the issues at hand, and to find out what suppliers can do to help them. IT's role in the growth of South West businesses
Continuing with our theme of IT usage in different regions of the UK, this week we spoke to IT decision-makers in the South West. Historically an area with less strong economic growth, and higher levels of unemployment than its South Eastern counterpart, the South West has recently proven popular with major multinationals looking for a UK base in the south of the country, without the prices of London and the South East.Legal IT in Scotland
Scotland, like the rest of the UK, was hit hard by the recession. A small economy, dependent on its neighbours, it has been steadily recovering at a rate of about 0.5% a quarter over the last 18 months. Supporting this recovery has been the business services sector, in particular law firms. We found an unusually tight-knit sector, where decision-makers are heavily influenced by their peers and local suppliers are best placed to win work. The Pearlfinders Index - Quarter 2 2011
All the data for Q2 2011 - as well as data on the hottest sectors, technologies sought, regions and methods of prospecting budget-holders, we have also profiled three key areas in depth: Cloud Computing, Virtualisation and Unified Communications/Collaboration.The role of IT in the growth of North East businesses
Continuing with our regional focus pieces, this week we're looking at companies in the north east. In conjunction with the Durham Business School, last week The Journal published a list of the Top 200 companies in the region, based on turnover. What constitutes a "north east" company is any business with a significant presence and substantial decision-making authority in the region. IT's role in the growth of North West businesses
Last month, two of the largest newspapers in the north west, the Liverpool Daily Post and the Manchester Evening News, joined forces to compile a list of the top 200 companies in the region by turnover. The companies included in the list had to have a "significant controlling head office presence" in the region, which meant only those with major decision-making powers in the north west of England were included. We decided to speak to companies on the list to evaluate how satisfied they are with IT suppliers in the region, and the impact this is having on IT plans.IT and Green Business
Being environmentally friendly and conducting "green business" is often a difficult tightrope to walk, particularly when trying to keep costs down. For IT directors, there was once a time when proving that a project had the potential to reduce CO2 was enough to get sign-off from the Board – now, however, green IT projects have to come hand-in-hand with tangible financial benefits. We decided to speak to some of the constituents of the list to hear about the role IT plays in their operations, in particular to understand the role it plays in their drive for sustainable business. IT's role in the growth of West Midlands businesses
Following on from last week's briefing on the East Midlands and its recent emergence as the fastest growing region in the UK, we decided to look at its westerly neighbour, which is snapping at its heels. Companies from the West Midlands feature heavily in the Sunday Times Deloitte Top 100 league table. Recent investment pledges from Jaguar Land Rover and BMW impressive vote of confidence in the region as well as the skills and capabilities of employees based there. We spoke to IT decision-makers at a variety of businesses in the region about the promising economic data, to find out to what extent their IT plans are affected. IT's role in the growth of East Midlands businesses
The latest Purchasing Managers’ Index from Lloyds TSB identifies the East Midlands as the UK’s fastest growing region, with new business growth and output both on the rise. As the area's economic recovery continues to thrive, regional businesses are meeting increasing demand with recruitment drives fuelling the strongest employment growth in the country. In May, firms took on extra staff at the fastest pace since June 1997.The impact of tuition fees on university IT
Following the decision earlier this year that universities could raise tuition fees to £9,000, the majority did just this. However, as a greater portion of budgets now come directly from the student population, universities can expect greater scrutiny of their spending and greater pressure to demonstrate tangible benefits for its users. We spoke to decision-makers across the country to ask the UK’s largest universities by student number how the funding reforms are influencing their IT plans.Emerging IT challenges for global manufacturers
European and global manufacturers are entering a challenging period following a steady run of growth. Higher energy prices, raw material costs and supply chain disruptions from the tsunami in Japan and unrest in the Middle East have demonstrated the need for greater flexibility in global infrastructures both in terms of resilience and speed of deployment. Companies are increasingly turning to their IT teams to mitigate these risks and identify technologies that will drive efficiency.The end of NPfIT
A collective sigh of relief was heard from IT execs in the health sector last week when the National Audit Office came to the conclusion that the much-maligned National Programme for IT (NPfIT) would not deliver value for money or its original clinical aims. The Department of Health issued a hasty response, conceding that the original concept was indeed “flawed”. No one culprit is to blame, but the question remains, what are the respective trust’s own IT decision-makers doing and where do they fit into the NPfIT? We decided to speak to some of these IT execs to see what the NPfIT had given them and what direction they were planning to take as the programme flatlines?
The Importance of Business Analytics
In recent years, the term "business analytics" has become somewhat of a buzzword, with resellers and vendors alike using it to describe any application or process used within a business to aid decision-making. Today's CIO recognises the value of business analytics in a competitive landscape, and it's fair to say a comprehensive suite of business analytics tools is now vital for larger companies looking to optimise performance and maximise sales.Export-led economic recovery
During the financial crisis, the UK manufacturing sector took a battering as demand for British-made products slumped. In fact, it was the six consecutive monthly slumps in output during 2008 that confirmed the economy's slip into recession. Today, however, while national demand for these products hasn't seen a significant rebound, net exports are believed to be at pre-recession levels and overall net trade is falling as we rely less on foreign imports.Technology in tourism
Over recent months, there has been a huge rise in both international and domestic tourists looking to spend time here in the UK. Events such as the recent royal wedding and the upcoming Olympic Games have prompted an increase in the number of people flying in our skies, travelling on our trains and staying in our hotels....Technology Challenges at UK Charities
As part of the recent budget, Chancellor George Osborne has cut bureaucracy that surrounds charitable donations by reforming the tax relief "Gift Aid" scheme to encourage more charitable giving. The current system of red tape will be slashed, allowing charities to claim Gift Aid on up to £5,000 of small donations a year...Challenges in retail technology
E-commerce, m-commerce and traditional in-store shopping are all becoming part of the "seamless customer experience" that consumers are starting to demand. In light of this, Pearlfinders decided to speak to IT decision-makers at major retailers to discover what they felt consumers were looking for, if the demand for multi-channel retailing was being met and the IT challenges associated with creating an innovative and seamless shopping experience. Our results show that retail technology is changing at a rapid pace, with many decision-makers wary of the issues associated with e-commerce, particularly security and PCI Compliance. London 2012 Olympics
In this week's Briefing, Pearlfinders has spoken to the technology departments of Olympic sporting organisations across the UK to see how London 2012 is having an impact, their use of technology to give themselves that competitive edge, and the other day-to-day requirements they have from suppliers.The Pearlfinders Index - Quarter 1 2011
All the data for Q1 2011 - as well as data on the hottest sectors, technologies sought, regions and methods of prospecting budget-holders, we have also profiled three key areas in depth: Virtualisation, Cloud Computing and Unified Communications/Collaboration.Broadcasters increase tech budgets
Over the last few years broadcast media has witnessed an unprecedented rise in audiences accessing content via multiple platforms, which is challenging these companies to be more innovative and invest in technology. Analysts are predicting a boom in tech spending this year, which is expected to continue sequentially over the next five years. We spoke to IT decision-makers to gauge how accurate this prediction is and to find out whether or not this trend signals a return to the "golden age" of broadcasting.Technology in the Construction sector
In his budget speech on the 23rd March 2011, Chancellor George Osborne announced plans for an assisted deposit scheme, designed to help first time buyers get on the property ladder. The government has earmarked £250m for the scheme, which will be available to somewhere in the region of 11,000 househunters. It has been said that the scheme will create some 50,000 jobs in the construction industry, as well as safeguarding countless others. With this predicted surge in activity, we decided to speak to IT decision-makers at housebuilders to gauge just how much of an impact the scheme will have on companies' infrastructure and consequently, plans for IT investment.Technology opportunities in North Sea oil companies
Following George Osborne's inaugural budget last week, the Chancellor was praised for the measures he took to stimulate the British economy and entice corporate investment, including a lift in planning constraints and cuts in corporation tax. One group of big companies that hasn’t welcomed the budget outcome are those in the oil and gas sector, as the Chancellor has chosen to increase supplementary tax on the energy industry from 20 to 32 per cent. As an industry which is being charged with driving the recovery of the UK economy, it seems odd that the Government would choose to tax the energy industry as it struggles with external and internal forces. We spoke to decision-makers in the industry, who largely felt that oil and gas firms have enough to deal with without the British Government adding fuel to the fire. Tech spending in the education sector in 2011
As 2010 drew to a close, analysts and industry commentators began the yearly ritual of forecasting which sectors would grow and which would shrink. Amongst the predictions and hypostheses, an interesting prediction was that the education sector would be the biggest spender in IT, as academic institutions seek to give themselves an edge in an increasingly competitive economy.Demand for tablet devices in the enterprise
Not many products have arrived in the marketplace with the same level of anticipation as tablet devices. Following the launch of the iPad 2 and the decision by Mercedes-Benz (US) to roll the devices out across all of its dealerships, Pearlfinders asked decision-makers in the automotive industry if there is a demand for such devices in the enterprise, or if tablets are simply giving decision-makers a headache?
Email in Legal Services
The legal sector has seen a sharp rise in the use of collaborative tools such as Microsoft SharePoint, Cisco WebEx and various IM and social media platforms over the last 18 months. Pearlfinders asks what impact this is having on traditional means of communication, namely email and what is email's role in the future of legal IT? The G-Cloud
With promises of billions of pounds saved, a more competitive marketplace and streamlined procurement processes, Pearlfinders asks "Is the G-Cloud really as disruptive as the decision-makers behind it would like us to think?".The Pearlfinders Index - Quarter 4 2010
As well as data on the hottest sectors, technologies sought, regions and methods of prospecting budget-holders, we have also profiled three key areas in depth: Virtualisation, Cloud Computing and Unified Communications.Special Report: Trends To Watch In 2011
For our December report we've aimed to give you a snapshot of what IT decision-makers themselves are saying about the technology trends to watch out for in 2011. The Pearlfinders Index - Quarter 3 2010
Welcome to the Pearlfinders Index, taking the temperature for the third quarter of 2010. Special Report: Foreign Exchange
The UK's geographic position allows traders to deal in both US dollars and Japanese yen during daylight hours. A sum equivalent to the entire output of the global economy is now traded once a fortnight on currency markets. The Pearlfinders Index - Quarter 2 2010
Welcome to the Pearlfinders Index, taking the temperature for the second quarter of 2010.
Pearlfinders IT Seminar 2010 - The Buyer's Mindset
We've focused on the questions and content areas most frequently nominated by customers. We've incorporated much-discussed topics that we've had with clients during account management calls, as well as some areas heavily featured in the technology trade press. Special Report: Flexible Working
Welcome to the second Pearlfinders Special Report of 2010, the latest in our quarterly series of topical research and analysis pieces. Previous reports have looked at: business continuity, technology plans of alcoholic beverage companies, housing associations and Premier League football clubs. Special Report: Business Continuity
Welcome to the first Pearlfinders Special Report of 2010. This follows our quarterly reports last year on the technology plans of alcoholic beverage manufacturers, housing associations, Premier League football clubs and the UK's top independent schools.
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