FRAMINGHAM, MA--(Marketwired - May 26, 2015) - IDG Enterprise's InfoWorld -- the technology media brand committed to keeping IT decision-makers ahead of the technology curve -- releases "The Rise of the Developer," the 2015 Tech Persona research revealing the skills, goals and influence of enterprises' secret weapon for innovation, the developer. The persona of the developer was decoded through qualitative and quantitative research to gain a full understanding of their role. These collaborative individuals must possess both business and technical skills to be successful, from consulting with executives on development needs to understanding multiple programming languages to execute on those initiatives.
The Many Layers of the Developer
Seen as a strategic thinker for whom the context of their efforts must be understood, they are open to new solutions. Enterprise developers are responsible for resolving the evolving software needs of teams throughout their organization and facing "next level challenges." These new solutions cannot be ready fast enough with 62% of developers saying software development within their organization is extremely/very/somewhat fast paced. Juggling multiple roles and projects is a normal day for developers, who primarily develop software applications (91%), modify/maintain software (53%), followed by testing (38%), researching (35%) and purchasing (23%). In a perfect world of balancing multiple projects, developers would like to spend more of their time developing software (44%), learning new programming languages or skills (42%) and researching new tools and solutions (41%). On the flip side, they would be okay reducing the amount of time spent on troubleshooting operations issues (35%).
"Developers are creating business advantage," says Eric Knorr, editor-in-chief of InfoWorld. "Modern dev tools and methodologies enable them to respond much faster to business demands and develop applications that meet business goals through collaboration with all levels of the business, including executives. That increased interaction helps make developers vital to enterprise growth."
Developers Toolbox for Success
When juggling numerous projects for multiple teams, developers believe a more automated development process (41%), more positive interactions with the operations team (38%), accelerated time to production (38%), and the ability to improve the product they are responsible for (38%) would benefit their role. Additionally, to be more proficient in their roles, developers could use more training in cloud API expertise (34%), data analytics knowledge (33%), and security issues management/security knowledge (31%).
There is a strong correlation between skills needed and skills possessed. For example, 59% of developers say that problem solving/troubleshooting skills are the most important to be successful in their role, and 52% are confident in their skills. Other skills that are important for developers' success include communication/collaboration (48%), industry knowledge on their organization's industry (44%) and project management skills (39%). These skills also fall into the top five areas developers are most confident in. When challenges do arise however, developers have clear set plans of what to do which include seeking advice from peers and utilizing search engines. The most common challenges are doing more with less staff, keeping up with new technology advancements/changing skill requirements and uncontrolled growth in project requirements.
Rising Influencer in Enterprises
While developers traditionally focus on creating and maintaining software, 73% of developers meet with line of business leaders to gather development requirements, and 72% say they meet with senior management to talk about enterprise development. Following along with the evolving responsibilities of developers, 82% of those less than 45 years old report meeting with senior management to talk about enterprise development compared to only 57% of developers older than 45. The majority of developers (86%) describe relationships with business management as collaborative and 82% describe it as consultative, which developers state are important skills to their success.
"As technology continues to evolve, every company is a software company and enterprise developers make this happen," says Brian Glynn, chief revenue officer of IDG Enterprise. "Their strategic abilities combined with frequent communication with business leaders make them a key player in the beginning stages of the tech purchase process. In a time when buyers are self-educating themselves prior to speaking with vendors, it is vital to be top of mind and developers are a way to get into the door for consideration and conversations."
For more detailed information, view our Enterprise Developer infographic here.
To receive a PDF of the research or to schedule a meeting to review the full results, contact Sue Yanovitch, vice president, marketing, IDG Enterprise at syanovitch@idgenterprise.com.
Targeted Personas
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About the Enterprise Developer TechPersona
Qualitative: Twelve 30-minute telephone interviews were conducted to inform the Enterprise Developer TechPersona. In order to be included among the qualified completes, respondents were required to be involved in developing and/or modifying software applications and were excluded if they are involved in selling software. The learnings from the qualitative research helped to inform the quantitative research.
Quantitative: As a follow-up to the qualitative research, a 20-question online survey was fielded across the IDG Enterprise audience via email invitation. In order to be included among the qualified completes, respondents were required to be involved in developing and/or modifying software applications and were excluded if they are involved in selling software. The quantitative results are based on a total of 290 qualified completes.
About InfoWorld
InfoWorld is the leading resource for content and tools for keeping IT decision-makers "ahead of the technology curve." The InfoWorld Expert Contributor Network provides a unique perspective in the market; our editors provide first-hand experience from testing, deploying and managing implementation of emerging enterprise technologies. InfoWorld's Web site (InfoWorld.com) and strategic marketing services provide a deep dive into specific technologies to help IT decision-makers excel in their roles and provide opportunities for IT vendors to reach this audience. InfoWorld is published by IDG Enterprise, a subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading media, events, and research company. Company information is available at www.idgenterprise.com.
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