The world changed dramatically in 2020, with the COVID pandemic forcing rapid transformation across almost every industry.
As restrictions ease and we survey the damage, many business owners will start the inevitable shift from COVID response planning to COVID recovery planning.
In Canberra, we were fortunate to escape the worst of the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. However, small to medium businesses – particularly in the hospitality and retail sectors – still took a big hit when restrictions were at their worst.
For those still playing catch up since then, the holiday period will hopefully offer some downtime to re-assess and develop new plans for a new year.
As we step into 2021, here are the top 3 business trends we believe we’ll see in the IT space…
Maximising ROI on IT investments
To stay alive, many businesses were forced to shift their operating models so they could continue delivering for customers. For some, this meant enabling remote access for all staff. For others, it meant pivoting their business to target new sources of revenue.
IT played a large part in this shift, and the urgent need to transform so quickly did put a lot of businesses under financial strain.
As recovery planning begins, we expect to see business owners looking for ways to maximise their investment in new IT infrastructure and systems to drive greater productivity and efficiency.
More reliance on remote work set ups
Since COVID, employee expectations have changed. Having proven that it is possible to work from home, many workers are demanding a more concrete and long term approach to flexible workplace arrangements that allow remote work on a permanent basis.
As we are still in the midst of a skills shortage in Canberra, attracting and retaining quality talent will require businesses to meet these new expectations if they wish to stay competitive.
With this in mind, we expect to see even more investment into and focus on enabling remote work through effective remote work solutions.
A stronger focus on security
When businesses shifted to remote work during COVID, the speed of the transformation left gaping security holes. A lack of remote work policy meant people were using business systems via public WiFi in cafes, and a lack of security provided malicious entities with a wealth of access points.
In addition, cyberattacks have become increasingly advanced this year as entities capitalise on new advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
With business owners starting to assess these security gaps, we expect to see a stronger commitment to IT security to prevent data theft and ensure compliance.
Partner with IT experts you can trust
At Empreus IT, we understand that IT is not your core business but is essential to keeping your business running.
This is why we offer a full suite of IT services – from on-demand IT support to installations, backup and disaster recovery, cloud, IT security, and so much more.
Don’t go it alone in 2021. Partner with trusted IT experts who will work closely with you to assess your IT needs and then take the stress of managing it off your hands.
To chat with us about our IT services, call Empreus IT Support on 6189 1322 or contact us.
