The Future of the Service Desk. Shadow IT?

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1 The Future of the Service Desk. Shadow IT? This report looks at the prevalence of shadow IT across organisations today, the implications for support and the impact on the business now and in the future.

2 Table of Contents Forward 4 Main Findings 5 Background and Methodology 6 Full Findings 8 Conclusion 24 Something fun 26 Declaration Whilst every care has been take to ensure the accuracy of this report, the results, estimates and opinions stated are based on sources which, while we believe to be reliable are not guaranteed. liability can be accepted by SDI, its Directors or employees for any loss to any person acting or failing to act as a result of anything contained in, or omitted from this report, or conclusions stated. Publisher s te Copyright 2014 by SDI. All rights reserved. part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of SDI. 2

3 Forward Main Findings This is the first time this survey has been carried out within the IT service desk community seeking their views on shadow IT. Whilst the survey confirms some trends and provides some evidence of what we believe to be true, it also highlights some of the key areas of concern and demonstrates the need for improved collaboration between IT and the rest of the business, as shadow IT is here to stay. Shadow IT is a term often used to describe software, hardware and IT solutions built and used inside an organisation without explicit IT approval. Many would argue that this is not a new phenomenon; for many years marketing departments for example have been using tools, technologies in stealth mode on their quest for unique customer interaction, with limited consultation with IT. However, it is only now that organisations are seeking to understand just what, and how much, shadow IT is happening within their own walls and the impact this is having on their business. Of the IT service desks who participated in the study: 60% have an advertised BYOD policy 90% of organisations aren t considering allowing their users to source their own software 90% Less than 15% consider shadow IT as being a positive thing for their customers Of organisations aren t considering allowing their users to source their own external IT service 63% Support users own thier own devices 4 5

4 Background and Methodology The main focus of this report is the prevalence of shadow IT within an organisation and to what extent the IT service desk is involved, or not, in supporting users own devices and software or cloud services. During February 2014 the survey was distributed to service desk professionals across all industry sectors in the UK and the data comprises responses from over 100 organisations. 57% of respondents were Service Desk Managers or the equivalent, which is helpful as they have the greatest insight into and visibility of the issues and challenges faced by their service desk. 6% Director level 57 % Service Desk Manager (and equivalent) 14 % Service Desk Team Leader/Supervisor 23 % Other The other group of respondents includes desk side support, engineers and an IT Jedi! To understand the nature of support provided by the organisations that took part in this survey we asked the following questions. How many people are on your front line team? Less than 10 = 44% Between = 28% Between = 13% Between = 2% Over 40 = 13% How many users do you support? Less than 1000 = 29% Between = 27% Between = 13% Between = 5% Over 9001 = 3% 6 7

5 The first question to set the scene for shadow IT was: Q25. Do you have a service catalogue that users can request hardware, software or services from IT? Q7. Does your Service Desk support users that own their own devices, software or external cloud services of their own choice for business purposes? 26% - Software 55% - Devices 19% Considering - Cloud Services ne of these Q26. Do you offer external, third party and cloud services as options that users can choose through IT rather than selecting themselves? Respondents were able to select all the answers that applied within their organisation. It s not surprising that 64% of respondents support a users own device (BYOD) above all other options as BYOD is much a more accepted and established practice. 11% 32% 57% Considering 8 9

6 Q8. Do you have an advertised BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy? Q9. Do users in your organisation select and use hardware, software or external IT services for their job that are not provided, or authorised by IT (Shadow IT)? - Hardware - Software 59% 41% - External IT services Don t know Although 64% of organisations (as per question 7 above) support BYOD only 41% tell us they actually have a BYOD policy. One of the simplest ways of removing any confusion over what is and isn t supported by the service desk is to have a clear BYOD policy that is communicated and understood by all users. It can be challenging to expect users to adhere to a policy that they are unclear about. For this question respondents were able to select as many options that applied within their organisation. The most popular choice was software, being supported by 41%. Just under half (44%) of respondents stated that there is no shadow IT within their organisation. If you consider the sheer volume of mobile devices, apps and cloud services in today s super connected society then it is entirely possible that these are under the radar and that shadow IT is so well hidden, it really is in the dark

7 Q13. Were you notified in advance of this occurring? Q14. Were you involved in the decision to allow this (shadow IT)? 17% 25% 75% 83% The response to this question clearly evidenced the communication gap, between IT and the business. Whilst in total just over 40% of respondents organisations enabled users to select and use hardware, software or external IT services for their job, only 25% of respondents were notified in advance that this was happening. With just under 20% of respondents answering this questions, actually being involved in the decision to allow this IT, it seems the service desk still has some way to go to establish itself as a true business partner, in an area in which it should lead the way

8 Q10. Are you considering allowing end users to source their own software? Q11. Are you considering allowing users to source their own hardware? next 6 months next 6 months next year next year longer term longer term For those respondents who answered this question it is clear that the sourcing of software The responses to this question seem to reflect the responses to the previous question could well and truly remain in the hands of IT and its purchase not be relinquished to users. (question 10) in that it s a to shadow IT rather than a. 71% of respondents don t It would appear that what s needed is an approach that empowers users to manage their allow users to purchase their own hardware. In the case of hardware support however own devices and corporate data, on those devices while still providing the service desk with organisations appear to be working towards constraining this less. A total of 29% of some management and control over those resources. respondents plan to allow this in the future, compared to just 10% planning to allow the purchase of software by end users in the future

9 Q12. Are you considering allowing end users to source their own external IT service? Q16. What is your perception of Shadow IT? It is a positive thing for our customers next 6 months Customers get confused as to what is and isn t supported next year We are not aware that it happens longer term We haven t seen any issues We don t allow Shadow IT Up until now the questions we ve asked have sought respondents views on the current state To continue the theme of the responses to questions 10 and 11 again seems to be the of shadow IT. The next few questions seek to address what their perception of shadow IT is prevailing word. Allowing users to source their own external IT service appears to be the and the implications for service. option that is least favoured by respondents. It s interesting that the overwhelming view of shadow IT is that customers get confused as to what and what isn t supported with 53% of respondents stating this as their main perception of shadow IT. It is clear from this that the service desk is conscious of the customer experience and keen not to confuse their customers. This links back to an earlier question Q8 - ensuring that there is a clearly defined and understood policy in place, between the service desk and its customers will help to avoid such confusion. With less than 40% of organisations not allowing shadow IT, IT could be in danger of being described as inflexible and uncompromising as customers expect service solutions that offer infinite choice and integrate seamlessly into their ever changing working environment

10 Q17. What do you think are the possible implications of Shadow IT for the Service Desk? Q18. Do you offer a walk-in IT support for your customers? It could use too much resource 15% 27% It could cost us more money / budget increase It could make life easier It could be a security risk It could cause confusion amongst our customers in terms of what is and isn t supported 58% - only by appointment It is encouraging to see that the service desk is not only concerned with the confusion caused to customers, but by the potential security risk of shadow IT with 71% of respondents raising this as a possible implication. Getting the balance right between a reasonable tolerance for shadow IT and information security and privacy is tricky, but as neither of these will go away soon, the service desk needs to drive the solution that meets both the demands With the increase of internal Apple style genius bars and as the service desk continues to be the face of IT, it is encouraging to see the combined responses for organisations offering face to face walk in IT support is 73%. More are planning to offer this service in the future. With the constant drive for cost cutting, allowing walk in which is more about face time and experience than adhering to cost models is also encouraging. from the customers to do their job and the corporate governance requirements of the business

11 Q19. Do you plan to offer walk-in IT support? Q21. Do you have Super Users (users who have advanced IT knowledge who can offer limited support) within the organisation you support? next 6 months next year long term 27% 73% Q20. What percentage of your incidents / requests are logged using this method? 1-20% 21-40% 41-60% 61-80% It is reassuring to see service desks using all of the resources available to them, and providing super services to their customers. Super users can help to remove or reduce pressure on the service desk, identify and mitigate issues quickly and support change with their breadth of understanding of common issues across the whole organisation % Of those organisations that answered this question, 75% of them logged between 1% and 20% of support calls using this the walk-in IT support channel. Offering a walk-in service is all about building better relationships; customers can be helped end to end and it provides an opportunity not just to deliver service, but to educate as well

12 Q22. Do you offer any of the following to Super Users? Q23. Do you have plans to support future user technology i.e. google glass, smart watches, 3D printing etc? Limited admin privileges IT training 20% User groups Time with the service desk Reward system 80% It is positive to see organisations using a variety of methods to support the Super user. Given that Super users can sometimes readily fix an incident without the intervention of the service desk, it is not surprising that 57% of respondents give their Super users limited admin privileges, as well as IT training and time with the service desk. This question looked to address just how far in the future service desks were planning to support future technologies. Whilst there is the need to be able to support the here and now, it is disappointing that 80% of respondents aren t more forward thinking in terms of what they will have to support in the not so distant future. The consumerisation of IT has dramatically increased the IT expectations of today s customers and service desks could be in danger of being left behind, if they are unable to keep pace with the changing landscape

13 Conclusion Shadow IT is here to stay. Running through this report is a thread that service desks understand the impact of shadow IT, but haven t quite grasped how to address the significant challenges it poses at either a strategic or day-to-day level. It is very encouraging to see that the service desk is not only concerned with the confusion shadow IT can cause to customers, but also with the potential associated security risks associated with it. Getting the balance right between a reasonable tolerance for shadow IT and information security and privacy is tricky, but as neither of these will go away soon, the service desk needs to drive the solution that meets both the demands from the customers to do their job and the corporate governance requirements of the business. There appears to be reluctance for the service desk to enable users to source their own software and hardware. It s clear that sourcing could well and truly remain in the hands of IT and its purchase not be relinquished to users. It would appear that what s needed is an approach that is driven by the service desk that empowers users to manage their own devices and data while still providing IT a level of management over those resources. The focus is NOT that the service desk is a control point, but that it is seen as an enabler of change,. What is apparent is that service desks and IT not only need to keep up, but they need to take an early adopter approach to the support of future of technology. Augmented reality, wearable displays and robotics are all technologies that no longer represent the future they are the here and now. As these technologies develop and become more embedded in our culture, they will change the course of accepted human behaviour and in turn the whole environment for support. Relinquishing the control of software demonstrates the service desk s move toward trust partner status. Rather than lock down, IT could relinquish some control but provide parameters with clear guidance and expectations. What is clear is that there is a need to create a strategy for shadow IT, which is an incredibly important process to ensure you can manage the users mobile estate of your organisation. The best approach to shadow IT is to enter into a clear and open discussion with the business and end users to understand their requirements. It s even more important to align IT services with the needs of the business so that consumers of your IT services do not feel the need to resort to their own shadow IT. The strategy can be broken down into 3 phases: Phase 1 Knowledge establish your service desk s current capabilities Understand your capacity what capacity is your service desk currently running on? Can you take on new services without affecting current support? Budget what resources do you have/will you need, what are the knowledge gaps and training required, what s the cost of support from third parties? Phase 2 Consultation & Communication solicit and collect customer and business feedback Customer Satisfaction understand your customers intimately and add value to their experience. Benchmarking benchmark yourself against other services desk learn from other organisation s success and failures. Phase 3 Review establish what is and what isn t possible. Be open and collaborate. What will we support? a mutual understanding between the service desk and the business is absolutely vital Marketing tell your customers - be creative, offer new ideas, new perspectives and innovations What s the business impact and value? Is the business more agile and versatile? 24 25

14 Just for fun The main purpose of this report was to understand the implications on the service desk and for the business of shadow IT. As part of the survey we asked What is the strangest thing you have been asked to support by the business? Here are just a few of the responses Lifts Second Life virtual 3d world Fan heater To provide psychological help A users grandparents broadband connection About LANDESK Software LANDESK Software is the leading provider of systems lifecycle management, endpoint security, and IT service management solutions for desktops, servers, and mobile devices across the enterprise. LANDESK enables IT to deliver business value by gaining control of end-user computing with a single console, light infrastructure, and ITIL solutions that deliver significant ROI for thousands of customers worldwide. Solutions from LANDESK are built upon an adaptive IT infrastructure model and encompass four key areas: User-Oriented IT Service Management Automates back-end service request processes, meets service level requirements, and empowers users to resolve many of their own issues through self-service. Secure User Management Properly maintains and safeguards the complete IT Infrastructure and ensures the successful delivery of end-user solutions. Through an integrated management console, manage all user devices through a single pane of glass: mobile, desktop, VDI s, applications, and endpoint security. End-to-End Mobility Management Controls and secures diverse mobile device platforms and increases user satisfaction from the back-office to the boardroom through access to applications and data. IT Asset Management Manages all hardware and software assets throughout their lifecycle, reclaims unused licenses, and optimizes asset expenditures. For more information about LANDESK, please visit About Service Desk Institute Founded in 1988, the Service Desk Institute (SDI) is the leading authority on service desk and IT support related issues, providing specialist information and research about the technologies, tools and trends of the industry. It is Europe s only support network for IT service desk professionals, and its 4500 organisation members span numerous organisations and industries. Acting as an independent adviser, SDI captures and disseminates creative and innovative ideas for tomorrow s service desk and support operation. SDI sets the best practice standards for the IT support industry and is the conduit for delivering knowledge and career enhancing skills to the professional community, through membership, training, conferences, events and industry awards. It also offers the opportunity for international recognition of the support centre operation through its globally recognised Service Desk Certification audit programme. For more information about SDI please visit 26

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