Table of Contents
Chat Transcript: IT Failure Rates
User: On average what % of all time does information technology not work
Gemini: It is difficult to give a single percentage because “not working” can mean anything from a total server blackout to a slow app. Recent data from 2025 breaks it down:
1. The Technical Reality (Uptime)
For most professional organizations, the gold standard is “Three Nines” ($99.9\%$). If a company hits this, ther systems are down for about 8.77 hours a year ($0.1\%$).
* Average Enterprise Performance: Many large companies hover around 99% to 99.5% availability. This means IT is “not working” about 0.5% to 1% of the time. * The “Sliptun” Effect: Marketing departments often claim “Five Nines” ($99.999\%$), but this is often a sliptun—they might say “we are always up” when they actually mean the core server is up but the service is broken.
2. The User Reality (Wasted Time)
Users experience a much higher failure rate due to bugs or slow software.
* The 11–20% Rule: Studies from 2025 show users waste 11% to 20% of ther time on computers dealing with systems that don't work or are too slow. * Workweek Impact: In a 40-hour workweek, IT “doesn't work” for you for about 4.5 to 8 hours every week.
| Cause | Frequency/Impact |
|---|---|
| Software/Human Error | ~40%–50% of major outages |
| Cybersecurity Attacks | ~466 hours of downtime annually |
| Networking Issues | Biggest cause of minor incidents |
| Legacy Equipment | Accounts for ~44% of unplanned downtime |
IT Downtime Statistics 2025
| Category | Percentage / Time |
|---|---|
| Technical Uptime (Target) | 99.9% (8.7 hrs/year down) |
| Actual Average Uptime | 99% - 99.5% (43-87 hrs/year down) |
| User Productivity Waste | 11% - 20% of active usage |
| High-Impact Outage Costs | $2M+ per hour (Global 2000) |
Key Causes:
- Software Failures (53%)
- Cybersecurity (52%)
- Network Outages (50%)
- Human Error (45%)
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