Business Puts Pandemic Behind: 10 Trends Shaping IT, the Channel in 2022
Companies are bullish about pursuing new customer segments in the year to come.
November 23, 2021
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Better communication tools have made working from home a reality and, in some cases, the standard quo. As workers stay in place, business travel may not be as frequent as it was prior to the pandemic. Consequently, this disruption in travel reshapes how businesses innovate.
Hardware installations and software licensing scratch the surface of the technology opportunities businesses will embrace to meet their long-term goals. Strategic and robust spending across IT departments and business-unit budgets will reflect the changing technological priorities.
It’s an overused buzzword. However, it still describes the era in which consumers and clients express concern over tech giants. Meta (Facebook) is possibly the greatest recipient of the backlash facing tech behemoths. However, CompTIA predicts much more to follow across the industry in 2022. The critique will surround the market power of tech giants and the way data is handled.
The evolution of cybersecurity now includes a movement to proactively address cyber threats. For example, penetration testing now plays an important role within cybersecurity teams. Businesses and organizations realize that both internal and external partners are necessary to identify security threats and to thwart breaches.
Channel firms will spend more on cybersecurity in 2022 because it’s good for business. Not only is cybersecurity essential for protecting assets, but it’s also critical to win deals. By ignoring opportunities to protect channel business, it puts firms at a disadvantage to land prospective customers.
The recent shortage has outlined some of the pitfalls of an economy whose product development, manufacturing, inventory and delivery are dispersed globally. In the event of overseas shortages or backlogs, channel firms may consider keeping some chip-based inventory on the shelf. This is regardless of whether customer orders have been placed.
How do we define the workplace of 2022? It’s complicated. The “office” is no longer the traditional space most people travel to. For many, it’s now a mix of hybrid work or a full-time work-at-home position. These changes have pros and cons that companies will have to navigate in the year ahead.
“Companies are definitely looking at hiring, but can they find people?” Robinson said. “Remote workforce or back in the office? Finding talent is really going to contribute to this tug of war.”
As software applications become more ubiquitous and detailed, businesses must stay up to speed. Technology should be used to gain new customers, improve productivity and develop an interconnected workforce.
“Technology firms and IT professionals need to become more familiar with software, especially understanding how software is used to drive a business forward,” Robinson said.
Data analytics means business will be conducted differently. However, organizations can’t take advantage of this unless they understand the basics of data and its management. This includes how data is collected, stored and secured. It also means understanding what goals business hopes to reach using that data.
The era of the cloud marketplace may mean the ability to resell products and services could be fading for some within the channel. However, there’s an opportunity to expand business through consulting.
“Channel companies may not be the go-to source for what the customer is buying, but they can help customers figure out what to buy and what to do with that product or service, especially in areas such as security, compliance and technology integration,” April said.
The era of the cloud marketplace may mean the ability to resell products and services could be fading for some within the channel. However, there’s an opportunity to expand business through consulting.
“Channel companies may not be the go-to source for what the customer is buying, but they can help customers figure out what to buy and what to do with that product or service, especially in areas such as security, compliance and technology integration,” April said.
IT businesses are eager to get back to “normal,” optimistic about a return to growth and innovation in 2022. Meeting or exceeding pre-pandemic levels of business is something IT professionals think is possible, according to new research. Nonprofit CompTIA’s recent study found that nearly eight in ten channel companies said they have a positive outlook about their firm’s prospects for next year. In addition, that optimism is matched by IT professionals, with nearly 80% feeling good about their role as a technologist.
CompTIA’s Seth Robinson
Seth Robinson is senior director for technology analysis at CompTIA.
“2022 is shaping up to be a year of not just recovery, but of acceleration and innovation,” Robinson said. “We are seeing signs of this in IT budgets, in the initiatives that companies are planning and in the skills employers are looking to add.”
IT Businesses Move Into New Markets
Carolyn April is CompTIA’s senior director for industry analysis. April says IT channel companies previously holding on to existing customers are now bullish. As a result, they are pursuing new customers and new customer segments in 2022.
CompTIA’s Carolyn April
“That means they are going to ramp up sales and marketing efforts and move their business into new areas, especially consulting services and getting more serious about the internet of things, artificial intelligence and other emerging tech opportunities,” she said. “It also means that they expect customers to resume their investments in technology.”
In ‘IT Industry Outlook 2022’, CompTIA cites 10 trends likely to shape the IT, its workforce and its business models in the new year. Scroll through the above gallery to learn about the forecast.
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