SolarWinds, a leading provider of powerful and affordable IT management software, announced the findings of its Little-Known Facts survey September 12, 2017. The results reveal that IT professionals in the United Kingdom public sector tend to go above and beyond the scope of their core responsibilities as the changing business landscape demands more of their attention, both inside and outside of the office. The survey supports IT Professionals Day, which is observed the third Tuesday of every September (September 19, 2017), to emphasize the need for greater appreciation for IT professionals and the critical role they play in modern business and the lives of nearly all technology end-users.

1. IT PRO SURVEY: UNITED KINGDOM
PUBLIC SECTOR
BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW … LITTLE-KNOWN IT FACTS IN
CELEBRATION OF IT PRO DAY
CONDUCTED BY C WHITE CONSULTING
JULY 2017

2. STUDY OVERVIEW: AREAS OF DISCUSSION
• What data helps demonstrate just why we should all appreciate our IT professionals and celebrate
them not only on IT Pro Day but all year long?
© 2017 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.

3. © 2017 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.
STUDY OVERVIEW: RESPONDENT DEMOGRAPHICS
53 IT practitioners, managers and directors in the United Kingdom from public-sector small,
mid-size and enterprise companies participated in a July 2017 online survey
2% 4%
13%
9%
13%
4%
23%
32%
Company Size
(number of employees)
25-49 FTEs
50-99 FTEs
100-249 FTEs
250-499 FTEs
500-999 FTEs
1000-1499 FTEs
1500-4999 FTEs
5000+ FTEs
39%
38%
6%
2% 15%
IT Pro’s Role
Practitioner
Manager
Director
IT Consultant
Other IT-related
89%
0%
11%
Public/Private Sector Split
Public Sector
Private Sector
It's Complicated

4. © 2017 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.
LITTLE-KNOWN IT PRO FACTS
IT pros surveyed go above and beyond when it comes to serving their companies, spending 8% of their time fixing office equipment that is NOT
related to IT, 20% of their time educating business leaders & end users about IT/technology, and 61% of their time focusing on their core IT pro
role/responsibilities (managing IT & IT-related services).
8%
20%
61%
12%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Installing/servicing/fixing NON-IT related office equipment (such as
break room/office appliances, office furniture, televisions, HVAC
systems, paper shredders, smoke alarms, clocks, light bulbs, etc.)
Educating business leaders & end users about IT/technology
Managing IT and IT-related services (tasks central to your IT pro job
description)
Other activities not included above
Where Do IT Pros Spend Their Time?
Within any given month, what percentage of your time
(on average) is spent in each of the following areas?
[text boxes – enter number so that all 4 areas equal 100]

5. © 2017 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.
LITTLE-KNOWN IT PRO FACTS
All IT pros surveyed agree that a percentage of end users who try to resolve their own IT-related problems before calling IT ultimately make things
worse. Almost one-fifth of IT pros say that more than half the time, end users who try to resolve their own IT-related problems before calling IT
ultimately make things worse. Over one-fourth of IT pros say that between 20-49% of the time, end users who try to resolve their own IT-related
problems (instead of calling IT first) tend to make things worse. And nearly half of IT pros say those same end users make things worse less than 20%
of the time.
0%
19%
30%
15%
13%
0%
9%
4%
2%
0%2%
6%
0%
1-9%
10-19%
20-29%
30-39%
40-49%
50-59%
60-69%
70-79%
80-89%
90% or more
Not sure
How Often Do End Users Who Try To Resolve Their Own IT-related Problems Ultimately Make Things Worse?
How often (on average) do end users who try to resolve
their own IT-related problems ultimately make things
worse? [choose one]

6. © 2017 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.
LITTLE-KNOWN IT PRO FACTS
45% of all IT pros surveyed indicate that finance/accounting/procurement personnel are one of their top 3 personnel who create the most IT/technology issues
that require an IT pro to resolve, followed by senior executives/chief officers (regardless of area, 43%). And 13% of IT pros list senior executives/chief officers
(regardless of area) as their top-ranked (#1) personnel in that area. By weighted rank, senior execs/chief officers (regardless of area) are the top-ranked
personnel, followed by #2 finance/accounting/procurement and #3 interns/junior-level staff (regardless of department/area).
Which of the following personnel create the most IT/technology issues
that require an IT pro to resolve? [choose only 3 in prioritised order]
40%
38%
26%
45%
26%
17%
19%
6%
43%
32%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Interns/junior-level staff (regardless of department/area)
Information Technology (IT)
Human Resources (HR)
Finance/Accounting/Procurement
Sales/Business Development
Marketing (Corporate & Product)
Communications & Public Relations (PR)
Legal
Senior executives/chief officers (regardless of area)
Other
Which Personnel Create the Most IT Issues that Require an IT Pro to Resolve?
#1 by weighted rank
#2 by weighted rank
#6 by weighted rank
#4 by weighted rank
#3 by weighted rank
#5 by weighted rank

7. © 2017 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.
LITTLE-KNOWN IT PRO FACTS
In any given week, nearly one-third of IT pros surveyed spend more time communicating with their IT monitoring systems than their loved ones, as
32% say they receive even more texts from their IT monitoring systems (for example, system alerts) each week than they do from their
friends/family/loved ones.
68%
32%
My friends/family/loved
ones
My IT monitoring system
(ie system alerts)
From Whom Do IT Pros Receive More Text/SMS/MMS Messages?
During a typical week, from whom do you receive more
text/SMS/MMS messages? [choose one]

8. © 2017 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.
LITTLE-KNOWN IT PRO FACTS
91% of IT pros surveyed indicate that a security breach is one of the top 3 IT/technology-related issues/trends that concern them the most, with 68%
ranking a security breach as their #1 concern. By weighted rank, a security breach also ranks as IT pros’ #1 concern, followed by #2 IT budget/personnel
cuts and #3 the cloud. Less than 10% (respectively) of IT pros are concerned that AI/bots/virtual assistants could replace them, with end users’ increasing
knowledge of IT making their jobs obsolete, or with their organisation becoming obsolete.
Which of the following IT/technology-related issues/trends concern you
the most? [choose only 3 in prioritised order]
91%
15%
9%
9%
32%
87%
42%
9%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
A security breach
Artificial intelligence (AI), bots &/or virtual assistants replacing elements
of my job
End users' increasing knowledge of IT making my job obsolete
My organisation becoming obsolete
End users who try to resolve their own IT-related problems ultimately
making IT issues worse
IT budget/personnel cuts
The cloud
Other
Which IT/Technology-related Issues/Trends Concern IT Pros the Most?
#1 by weighted rank
#2 by weighted rank
#4 by weighted rank
#3 by weighted rank
#5 by weighted rank
#6 by weighted rank

9. © 2017 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.
LITTLE-KNOWN IT PRO FACTS
89% of IT pros surveyed work overtime hours (defined as any hours worked outside of a typical 8-hour week day such as after-hours on week days
and/or any time worked on weekends). And 66% do so with no compensation for working overtime. Nearly half of IT pros work at least 10 overtime
hours per month, and nearly one-fourth of IT pros work 20 or more overtime hours per month. Of the 34% who do receive compensation for working
overtime, the majority receive something other than monetary compensation (such as comp time).
11%
25%
19%
17%
6%
8%
0% 15%
How Many Overtime Hours are Worked by IT
Pros Each Month?
0 (no overtime hours)
1-4 overtime hours
5-9 overtime hours
10-14 overtime hours
15-19 overtime hours
20-24 overtime hours
25-29 overtime hours
30+ overtime hours
NOTE: For the purposes of this question, “overtime” is defined as any
hours worked outside of a typical 8-hour week day (ie after-hours on
week days &/or any time worked on weekends would be considered
“overtime” hours). Within any given month, how many overtime hours
(on average) do you work? [please choose only one]
13%
21%
66%
Compensation for Overtime Hours
Yes, MONETARY compensation
Yes, something OTHER THAN MONETARY compensation (ie comp time)
No, NO COMPENSATION (monetary or otherwise) for working overtime
NOTE: For the purposes of this question, “overtime” is defined as any
hours worked outside of a typical 8-hour week day (ie after-hours on
week days &/or any time worked on weekends would be considered
“overtime” hours). Are you compensated for working overtime?
[please choose only one]

10. © 2017 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.
LITTLE-KNOWN IT PRO FACTS
85% of IT pros surveyed prefer to use Windows while nearly half prefer to use Android, and 30% prefer to use Linux/Ubuntu. 58% of IT pros prefer to
use Facebook and just under half prefer to use LinkedIn over all other social media. Over one-fourth prefer to use Twitter while 6% prefer not to use
any social media at all.
26%
13%
47%
85%
30%
2%
0%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
iOS
Mac OS X
Android
Windows
Linux/Ubuntu
Fire OS
Other
Which Operating System(s) Do IT Pros Prefer
to Use?
Looking across all major device types (mobile/cell phones, tablets and
laptops/desktops), which operating system(s) do you prefer to use?
[choose all that apply]
Which of the following social media to you prefer to use? [choose
all that apply]
26%
9%
58%
0%
47%
6%
7%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
Snapchat
LinkedIn
Prefer Not to Use
Other
Which Social Media Do IT Pros Prefer to Use?

11. © 2017 SolarWinds Worldwide, LLC. All rights reserved.
LITTLE-KNOWN IT PRO FACTS
90% of IT pros surveyed enjoy (“like” and “love”, combined) being an IT pro. Nearly half of all IT pros love what they do. And not a single IT pro hates their
job.
47%
43%
8%
2% 0%
I love being an IT pro
I like being an IT pro
I neither like nor dislike
being an IT pro
I dislike being an IT pro
I hate being an IT pro
How Do IT Pros Feel about Being IT Pros?
Which of the following best describes your feelings about
being an IT pro? [choose one]