Technical support teams are 42 percent smaller than ideal, chief
information officers said in a recent survey by Robert Half Technology, a division
of Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE: RHI).

On average, CIOs said there are 112 internal employees to each
technical support employee at their companies. Ideally, they said they would like
an average of 65 internal employees per technical support staff.

The results are similar to those of a 2007 survey in which CIOs
said their support teams were an average of 40 percent smaller than their ideal.

Small firms (100-249 employees) were farthest from their ideal
technical support ratio, the results show, while midsize companies (250-499 employees)
were closest.

“As companies implement upgrades and invest in new technology,
it becomes more challenging for technical support professionals to keep pace with
end-user demands,” said John Reed, executive director of Robert Half Technology.
“Unfortunately, the time employees spend waiting for technical help can result in
lost productivity.”

The survey was conducted by an independent research firm
on behalf of Robert Half Technology, a provider of information technology professionals
on a project and full-time basis. More than 1,400 CIOs from U.S. companies with
100 employees participated.