Research conducted by the Cloud and Data Centre specialist Node4 has found that almost half of the UK’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are struggling to hire IT staff with the necessary skills and qualifications.

The skills shortage is most severe in South East England, where 65 per cent of SMEs find it difficult to recruit qualified staff for their in-house IT operations. 60 per cent are struggling in the North East and the East Midlands, and things aren’t much better in the capital, with 46 per cent of London’s SMEs suffering from an IT talent shortage.

It is no surprise then that 79 per cent of the UK’s SMEs see IT outsourcing (ITO) as a highly viable option. The vast majority agreed that outsourcing IT infrastructure ‘removes the headache’ of IT management and finding the right personnel.

Paul Bryce, Business Development Director at Node4, commented: ‘The nationwide struggle for skilled talent is a major concern for businesses. With a large number of SMEs frustrated with technical limitations and the day-to-day administration of their infrastructure it’s hardly surprising that local outsourcing has become a preference so that organisations can continue to win more business, beat the competition and succeed.’

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