IT wants to use AI and the cloud to solve problems, but doesn’t have the time | Artificial intelligence

Technology professionals are driven to learn new skills and tap emerging tech to solve business problems, but often don’t have the time to do so, according to a Monday report from SolarWinds.

Of the 200 tech pros surveyed globally, nearly 70% said they respond to one-off user requests on a daily basis, and 51% said they respond to help desk tickets daily as well. Even when time allows, tech pros tend to prioritize researching new technologies that will benefit the end user, the report found.

“Today’s technology professionals face a tremendous amount of responsibility at work, from one-off user requests and help desk tickets to the expectation of continuous technology implementation,” Joseph Kim, executive vice president and CTO of SolarWinds, said in a press release.

SEE: IT leader’s guide to the future of artificial intelligence (Tech Pro Research)

If given more time, tech pros named the top three new technology advancements that they would use to solve challenges within their IT environment:

1. AI/machine learning/deep learning: Tech pros said they would use these technologies to uncover more actionable insights for business leadership

2. Automation: Automation makes repeatable, manual tasks quicker and more efficient, often with higher accuracy

3. Cloud: The public cloud can allow tech pros to scale workloads easily and cost effectively

IT professionals want to continue to hone their skills, but it requires a time commitment outside of the traditional work day, the report found. If given an extra hour in the workday, tech pros said they would spend it developing their technical skills (41%), researching new technologies (21%), and planning or strategizing future technology innovation in their IT environment (19%).

“In 2017, we revealed that technology professionals are the backbone of our businesses,” Kim said in the release. “This year, we’ve seen this trend continue, with tech pros going above and beyond their responsibilities to explore new technologies and educate themselves further.”

The big takeaways for tech leaders:

• 70% of tech professionals said they respond to one-off user requests on a daily basis. — SolarWinds, 2018
• Tech pros named AI, automation, and the cloud as the top three emerging technologies they would use to help their business if they had the time to learn them. — SolarWinds, 2018

Also see