Cost management and virtualization top the list of enterprise IT concerns, according to the SHARE survey that will be released at SHARE’s bi-annual conference, SHARE in Boston, August 1-5.

SHARE conducted the survey of more than 160 of IBM’s top customers to review the current state of enterprise IT in terms of where companies are putting the most resources and focus. Results of the study provide industry analysis to help SHARE better shape its programs and events for the greater member – and enterprise IT – community. The information also provides valuable insights to IBM and ISVs (independent software vendors) about issues that concern their customers the most. The survey was conducted during June and July 2010.

“Companies were asked to rank their top 5 concerns, and cost management, especially when it comes to cost reduction and avoidance, continues to be top of mind for these companies,” said Al Williams, the President of SHARE. “The survey reinforces why one of the themes for SHARE in Boston – IT and the Bottom Line – is so important. It’s not enough to just cut costs – the successful enterprise IT professional knows there is a need to demonstrate IT’s value and how it can provide a competitive advantage every day.”

Virtualization ranked as the second biggest concern, with server virtualization the primary focus, followed by storage virtualization and then network virtualization. Cloud computing, another theme for SHARE in Boston, ranked seventh, with Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) identified as the most prominent focus in the cloud, followed by Software as a Service (SaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS).

Here are the top ten issues from the survey:

• IT Cost Management
• Virtualization
• Improving IT’s value and deriving competitive advantage from IT
• Enterprise security
• The aging and demographics of current IT staffs
• Business continuity planning
• Cloud computing
• Regulatory compliance
• Reinvigorating/repurposing the mainframe
• Data center energy management

More than 600 technical sessions at SHARE in Boston at the Hynes Convention Center, August 1-5, are focused on the 2010 conference themes – Enterprise Virtualization & Cloud Computing, and IT and the Your Bottom Line. SHARE conferences provide enterprise IT professionals with the latest information and newest innovations in the marketplace. SHARE in Boston attendees at the Hynes Convention Center will meet enterprise IT experts, learn about the latest developments and solutions in the industry, and build relationships with peers experiencing similar challenges.