Delivering applications out to branch offices and virtual workers isn't as easy as it sounds. There are many moving parts that require focus and attention from the IT staff.

But who is holding this responsibility, holistically? Is it the network guys? The application guys? The security guys? And are these people coordinating with their peers in other relevant parts of IT?

The answers to these questions vary from company to company. But for the most part, a problem is emerging: No one is taking complete responsibility for application delivery. The network team may run two-sided network optimization devices to compress bandwidth between the headquarters and branch. The applications team, meanwhile, may prefer application-acceleration products that focus on latency reduction or proprietary algorithms.

What’s needed is a single person whose title is director of optimization, or director of application delivery. This person would be responsible for working with network, applications development and management, collaboration, telecom, and security teams.

Basically, he or she would make sure all the parts are operating smoothly, in unison, to ensure secure, predictable, cost-effective delivery of central applications out to the growing virtual workforce.

Our research shows a healthy and growing demand for optimization, including compression, application acceleration, load balancing, caching, and other technologies that ultimately improve the performance of networks and applications. At the same time, companies allow access from remote workers and business partners, so security is paramount.

As you’re evaluating your IT staff and which positions to eliminate, outsource, or add, this is one hot area you shouldn’t overlook. The complexity of delivering applications is only going to intensify - and putting resources toward developing a solid strategy will pay off.

Robin Gareiss is executive vice president and senior founding partner of Nemertes Research. Click  here for the newsletter archive.