Why are IT marketing skills in such high demand? I think really being able to promote what you're doing is becoming an important skill to develop. Plus, the need to develop people skills is becoming more and more important.

Yet 34 percent of respondents cited IT strategy and planning as the most important nontechnical skills to develop. With the increased focus on [service-oriented architecture], many IT managers are asking how they can focus their resources most effectively. It's a more structured focus because SOA is enabling people to get out of the code-building race and leverage what they've built to provide greater value to the company.

Two-thirds of the respondents said help desk skills are the most important technical skills needed in the IT team. Why is that? As end users use more applications, they may be having more of their work tied to using these applications. And as companies get more involved with security provisions, they're making sure the help desk gets more involved in supporting end users.

When asked which IT position is most difficult to hire for, the highest number of respondents -- 33 percent -- said systems integration.

How come? I think it's hard to find those people because those skills are in such high demand right now.