CEOs and CIOs Reveal Top IT Problems in Study From IT Governance Institute.

ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. -- The top two IT-related problems are operational incidents and staffing issues, according to a global survey commissioned by the IT Governance Institute (ITGI). Security and compliance were named the least important--likely due to efforts put into information security and

The survey consisted of 695 interviews with CEO/CIO-level executives in 22 countries. Full results are in the IT Governance Global Status Report 2006, a complimentary download at www.itgi.org. The study assessed the C-suite's IT governance priorities and actions executives have taken related to IT governance. It follows ITGI's 2003 report and tracks trends over the past two years.

The study found several improvements since 2003. For instance, IT is included more often on boards' agendas--63 percent regularly or always include it, compared to 58 percent in 2003.

Though 57 percent of respondents said IT is very important to the delivery of corporate strategy, compared to 52 percent in 2003, the study found that CEOs are responsible for governance over IT in only 24 percent of the organizations.

"As in 2003, CEOs and business executives are still hesitant to discuss IT governance," said Everett Johnson, CPA, international president of ITGI. "This finding is troubling because boards and CEOs are ultimately responsible for oversight over all major assets--including IT."

Other findings include:

--The IT department at 56 percent of the organizations understands and supports business users' needs.

--IT outsourcing is no longer seen as the most beneficial resolution to IT problems--45 percent of US respondents believe it is ineffective.

--The number of companies indicating no IT problems increased from 7 percent in 2003 to 21 percent.

--Only 9 percent of organizations are not considering implementing any IT governance solutions--down from 17 percent.

ITGI will repeat the survey periodically to uncover new findings on IT governance. Complimentary downloads of the reports are available at www.itgi.org, and print copies can be purchased from www.isaca.org/bookstore.

The IT Governance Institute(R) (www.itgi.org) was established in 1998 to advance international thinking and standards in directing enterprise information technology. ITGI developed COBIT and assists enterprise leaders in their IT governance responsibilities.