The survey, conducted online between December 15, 2011 and January 23, 2012, asked 502 IT and business managers in the U.S. about skills shortages inside their IT departments, the impact of those skills deficiencies on their organizations, and how they attempt to address their IT skills shortages.

An overwhelming 93 percent of survey respondents report some gap between the technical skills their IT staffs possess and the skills their companies need. Eight-out-of-ten (83 percent) say that gap is small to moderate. Nine percent say their IT staffs' skills are not close to where they need to be. Only seven percent of survey respondents believe their IT staffs possess the requisite skills.

The skills that respondents ranked as the most important were core IT skills. The following IT skills received rankings greater than 70 percent:

Eight out of 10 (80 percent) IT and business managers report that skills gaps inside their IT departments affect at least one business area. Here's a look at the impact of IT skills shortages on productivity, customer service, security, innovation, speed to market and profitability at small, midsize and large companies.