CTOs see scaling up tech capabilities as top priority

New research from STX Next shows CTOs handling a diverse mix of challenges, including processes, finances and managing people.

A majority of chief technology officers (53%) name the need to scale up their technological capabilities as a top priority. Despite this clear recognition of a need to evolve, the typical CTO currently faces a wide range of challenges, including software prioritisation, budget constraints and the need to hire and manage the right people. This is according to research by STX Next, Europe’s largest software house specialising in Python software development.


The findings were taken from STX Next’s recent Global CTO Survey report, which polled 250 CTOs around the world on the biggest challenges facing their business.

Prioritisation is the most widely cited software development challenge (mentioned by 44% of respondents). This is followed closely by budget constraints (42%) and making the right hiring choices (40%).

Commenting on the figures, Maciej Dziergwa, Chairman of STX Next, said: “These numbers lay bare the vast diversity of the CTO role, and the unique mix of challenges that someone in this position has to address on a daily basis. Scaling is very much front of mind, but there are a number of hurdles standing in the way of making this happen.

“Some challenges – such as budget restrictions – aren’t too surprising given the current difficulties posed by Covid-19. However, working out which software development projects to prioritise over others is another interesting headache facing CTOs, as is the pressing need to ensure the right hiring choices are made during such uncertain times.”

When it comes to making hiring decisions, 93% of respondents said that having the right technical skills is crucial for any candidate. Not far behind this is the need for a new hire to be the right cultural fit for the organisation (85%).

Dziergwa added: “The above points illustrate perfectly how the CTO role requires an extremely broad range of skills. An effective CTO needs to possess not just the technical know-how to implement and manage projects, but also the soft skills needed to build an effective, harmonious team whose emotional needs are looked after. This is a rare blend that illustrates the invaluable role that a CTO plays in running an organisation.”

He concluded: “To help CTOs achieve these goals, it’s important for leaders across the C-suite to take note of these figures and offer their support where they can. This means continuing to recognise the role of the CTO and IT department as crucial drivers of innovation across the entire business. Without the right amount of investment to ensure CTOs can run the projects and hire the people they need to, the ability to keep up with competitors will be compromised.”

Nutanix has published the findings of its fifth global Enterprise Cloud Index (here) survey and research report, which measures enterprise progress with cloud adoption.
International research report by Westcon-Comstor reveals challenges of complex multivendor portfolios, and the need for distributor marketplaces to simplify and add value,
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has successfully used virtual reality (VR) technology for the first time to provide immersive learning experiences for staff in equality, diversity and inclusion training.
92 percent of business leaders surveyed believe that fluctuating energy costs and instability still pose a threat to business competitiveness.
VMware has introduced the next evolution of the company’s flagship VMware Partner Connect program.
According to a new report from Arelion, escalating energy prices and their impact on network operations are the prime concern for over half (53%) of business leaders, but many are also anxious about possible energy supply shortages with 43% citing this as their second-biggest worry. So major are the issues, that 45% of leaders have admitted to having suffered significant stress over the recent energy price surges, with 14% going so far as to say that the situation is actually causing them to lose sleep.
OpsRamp and the HPE GreenLake edge-to-cloud platform will provide a unified approach to manage multi-vendor computing, networking, storage, and application resources in hybrid and multi-cloud IT environments.
Pluralsight has released its 2023 State of Upskilling Report, which compiles survey results from more than 1,200 tech learners and leaders in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and India on the most current trends and attitudes around tech skills development.