Report IT budgets under pressure, ‘doing more for less’ – we’re all familiar with the headlines. And of course vendors are always at the ready with solutions that address those very pain points. ‘Spend to save’ is the accompanying mantra. But what’s actually happening in the real world?

Is the IT budget situation as dire as it’s proclaimed to be? What’s the relationship like between business and IT these days? What technologies are being deployed to improve IT service delivery? And does ‘cloud’ have a role to play?

We asked 294 Reg readers for their views, and as usual, they didn’t hold back. Their responses showed that the budget picture is by no means bleak across the board, and it’s still possible to find money for new IT investment, even in areas that may not be front of mind for the average business person (e.g. shared infrastructure, or monitoring tools).

So what about those folks that are still able to secure funding for new projects, and who’re not having their budgets slashed? Do they have anything in common? The answer is yes, they do. And yes, private cloud does come into the mix. ®