5 Post-Pandemic IT Trends

During the Covid-19 pandemic new ways of working have emerged that look set to stay. Technology is at the forefront of these changes, offering businesses the chance to be resilient, proactive and agile.

All organisations are more reliant upon technology than ever before. This is shaping new ways of working that we forecast will be long-term, even permanent, operational changes.

5 Technology Trends to Watch

1. Cloud Computing Will Be Bigger Than Ever

Pre Covid-19, cloud computing was already hugely popular. In 2019, 94% of businesses were already utilising cloud technology in some way (RightScale 2019 State of the Cloud Report). The need to allow remote access to information and processes has increased the functionality and volume of users involved with cloud computing.

This service offered the flexibility and continuity needed by businesses as lockdown commenced. Morgan Stanley reports that 52% of businesses plan to increase cloud-communication spend, with 30% of that investment expected to be permanent despite employees’ returning to offices. Video conferencing was the most popular service with 40% of organisations indicating long-term spend.

2. More  Interaction Via Augmented and Virtual Reality Tools

Remote interaction has become a necessity due to social distancing and travel restrictions. Investment in AR/VR spending is set to increase by 87% over the next four years (IDC market intelligence). Traditionally strong in the gaming industry, new potential AR/VR markets emerged during lockdown. These include healthcare, retail, property and education.

3. More Security and Scam Threats

Remote working solutions have changed how organisations approach cyber security. This is especially important as Covid-19 orientated scams have emerged. Proactively working to protect your company’s network and data is more vital than ever. Organisations in North America with either an existing zero-trust initiative or plans to create one in the next 12 to 18 months has increased by 275% year-over-year to 60 percent (Okta 2020).

4. Customers’ Digital Expectations

The implementation of digital solutions for ‘every day’ activities such as shopping, communication and cashless payment transactions accelerated quickly as the pandemic took hold. Morgan Stanley reports that: “Whilst some analysts do expect some return to normal payment behaviour post-pandemic, they note that a shift to digital payments is likely to become permanent, serving as a longer-term tailwind for the sector. They also expect rapid e-commerce growth to persist, resulting in an overall increase of 25% in 2020.”

5. More Outsourced IT Support

A March 2020 CompTIA survey found that only 41% of professionals said their organisations had strong technical capabilities related to remote work. 67% said they were either somewhat or very likely to engage with a third-party provider for assistance with their remote work set-up. In these situations, outsourcing IT support can be very cost-effective and efficient.

Eric Hughes of EMH Technology explains: “By working with a managed IT support provider you gain access to technical expertise relevant to your business and pay for only the support services you actually need. This can make a huge difference to the level of long term support available to employees, especially during remote working.”

Is your business using technology in these ways?

Would you like to know how technology can work even harder for you?

Contact the friendly experts at EMH Technology. We promise an initial discussion without obligation or jargon. Let’s talk.