IT’s Pivotal Role in a Post-Pandemic WorldOne of the\u00a0few\u00a0positive\u00a0outcomes\u00a0of\u00a0this\u00a0global\u00a0health and economic\u00a0crisis\u00a0will be\u00a0the collective realisation of what really matters.\u00a0Overnight, the world stopped. Our lives\u00a0were\u00a0stripped of\u00a0all\u00a0the fluff,\u00a0forcing us to\u00a0re-evaluate priorities and\u00a0hold onto\u00a0the essentials. A stable income,\u00a0health, human contact.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The same\u00a0is\u00a0true\u00a0for the enterprise\u00a0world.\u00a0Businesses\u00a0had to scrap their\u00a02020 roadmap and start anew,\u00a0trimming down costs\u00a0and\u00a0adjusting short- and mid-term\u00a0goals.\u00a0Those lucky\u00a0enough to\u00a0be\u00a0in an industry where remote work makes\u00a0sense\u00a0have\u00a0done\u00a0their best to\u00a0stay operational. This\u00a0struggle, in turn,\u00a0has\u00a0further\u00a0highlighted\u00a0the\u00a0strategic importance\u00a0of\u00a0one\u00a0particular department\u00a0\u2013 IT.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
For some, the road to digital transformation\u00a0has been\u00a0a shorter and bumpier ride<\/a>\u00a0than expected.\u00a0The sudden need\u00a0for\u00a0company-wide\u00a0telework has caught them unprepared, without the\u00a0necessary\u00a0infrastructure\u00a0or\u00a0processes in place.\u00a0But\u00a0the surge in demand\u00a0for IT services has put a strain on even\u00a0the best-prepared organisations.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams and cloud\u00a0services\u00a0have experienced\u00a0lag and other issues. Forcing providers to\u00a0implement new measures and\u00a0double down on personnel.\u00a0Traditional retailers have\u00a0turned to online sales, whereas\u00a0pure e-commerce players and multichannel operators are\u00a0expanding\u00a0their\u00a0overall organisational structure.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n All of this is only made possible by technology\u00a0investments\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0development of IT\u00a0teams.\u00a0Furthermore,\u00a0the\u00a0current situation\u00a0offers a good reminder\u00a0of technology\u2019s key role in ensuring\u00a0companies can quickly adapt to changing circumstances.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n As\u00a0we have\u00a0discussed<\/a>\u00a0in the past,\u00a0a home-based workforce has made it easier for attackers to exploit weaknesses in enterprise networks.\u00a0Not to say that business leaders were\u00a0unaware of the dangers of cyberthreats before. Cybersecurity has\u00a0long\u00a0been\u00a0in the top list of worries for\u00a0CIOs.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, the\u00a0risks\u00a0—\u00a0and stakes\u00a0—\u00a0are now higher than ever.\u00a0Companies are putting a renewed focus on the importance of\u00a0implementing appropriate protocols\u00a0and tools, from VPNs\u00a0to cloud security.\u00a0The\u00a0push to\u00a0guarantee\u00a0business continuity\u00a0is\u00a0making\u00a0organisations compete for the best security specialists. Accentuating\u00a0an\u00a0already pervasive\u00a0shortage of skilled\u00a0talent.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n But not all challenges\u00a0that\u00a0businesses\u00a0face\u00a0are as straightforward.\u00a0New regulatory landscapes; like the ones brought forth by\u00a0GPDR and\u00a0the UK\u2019s\u00a0upcoming\u00a0IR35;\u00a0can be difficult for companies to\u00a0figure out.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n For example, those\u00a0speeding\u00a0up\u00a0digital transformation might\u00a0not be\u00a0fully aware of the ins and outs of data privacy\u00a0laws and\u00a0inadvertently commit\u00a0malpractice.\u00a0Again, technological tools like enterprise automation\u00a0can\u00a0be decisive<\/a>\u00a0in helping organisations manage the unknown and limit exposure.\u00a0IT departments can\u00a0employ\u00a0digital workers to comb through data sets\u00a0or\u00a0carry out other time-consuming tasks\u00a0to ensure compliance with current regulations.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Additionally,\u00a0IT can greatly help enterprises deal with evolving economic and market scenarios. Machine learning and other types of AI software\u00a0are great allies in the search of new\u00a0areas of\u00a0business. Helping\u00a0sales teams identify leads and allowing for more accurate\u00a0predictions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Recent studies suggest\u00a0that\u00a0business leaders\u00a0know perfectly well that\u00a0IT is set to play a pivotal role in the COVID-19 aftermath.\u00a0Yes —\u00a0IDC expects\u00a0a 2.7% decline in worldwide IT spending this year.\u00a0But this data must not be taken out of context.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n All seems to indicate that CFOs are, as usual,\u00a0exercising caution\u00a0and\u00a0limiting\u00a0overall spending\u00a0across the organisation. However,\u00a0it looks like\u00a0most\u00a0companies<\/a>\u00a0recognise the strategic importance of\u00a0technology\u00a0by\u00a0prioritising\u00a0IT spending over other areas.\u00a0This sentiment was\u00a0echoed\u00a0in\u00a0a recent\u00a0poll\u00a0by Imperial College\u00a0Business School, which revealed that 48% of\u00a0businesses were planning to prioritise the hiring of IT professionals in the coming months.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\nEnsuring\u00a0<\/strong>cybersecurity<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n
Navigating uncharted waters\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
IT’s Pivotal Role in a Post-Pandemic World<\/strong> : Numbers don\u2019t lie<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h3>\n