More Than Half of IT Leaders Cite Resource Shortages as a Major Challenge in Meeting Infrastructure Demands

DataStrike, which offers data infrastructure managed services, has released its 2025 survey report, highlighting the mounting challenges faced by IT teams in managing increasingly complex data environments. The survey, which gathered insights from nearly 200 IT leaders and decision-makers, reveals that internal IT teams are being pushed to the brink, balancing the demands of modern data management with limited resources.

The report shows that 55% of organizations rely solely on internal IT teams to manage their data infrastructure, while only a small fraction (19%) outsources these critical functions. As a result, IT teams are struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of technological advancements, often managing multiple database platforms and cloud environments simultaneously. More than half (54%) of IT leaders report a lack of resources and tools to meet the growing demands of data infrastructure management.

“IT teams are being asked to do more with less,” said Rob Brown, President and COO of Pittsburgh-based DataStrike. “They are responsible for not only day-to-day operations but also ensuring the seamless integration of new technologies, securing critical data, and delivering real-time insights—all while managing shrinking budgets.”

Among the key findings, nearly half of respondents (49%) reported handling more than one database platform, adding to the complexity of their workloads. IT teams are managing an average of two database platforms and two cloud environments, further straining already limited resources.

Twenty three percent of respondents named data infrastructure cost optimization as a top priority for 2025, alongside cloud instance optimization and the development of a comprehensive data infrastructure strategy.

More than three-fourths of surveyed IT leaders expressed interest in outsourcing their data infrastructure management, with 73% of those already outsourcing open to exploring new managed service providers (MSPs).

Channel Impact^®
The DataStrike survey emphasizes the shift toward outsourcing as a solution to alleviate the burdens on internal IT teams. Many organizations are turning to fractional support models and MSPs to access the specialized expertise they need without the overhead of maintaining full-time staff. This is great news for channel partners.