At the beginning of 2020, 70% of organisations did not have the IT infrastructure they needed to cope with the working habits the pandemic resulted in. IT leaders who had already embraced the digital transformation, had a huge advantage over the vast majority, who had not.
Since the pandemic, priorities within the IT industry have changed. But what exactly are the top priorities for IT services in this new normal? Here are just a few ideas of what IT leaders think they are in 2021.
Enabling remote working for tech staff
Prior to the pandemic, working from home was never considered an option, especially for tech staff. After being forced to attempt to work from home for months in 2020 and 2021, it is no wonder that most IT leaders are endeavouring to keep the option of tech staff working remotely viable.
Enabling tech staff to communicate and interact with non-tech staff is also a number one priority. Some businesses have taken to using unified communications services as part of their disaster recovery planning. These systems have integrated collaboration tools, so communication between those in the office and those at home is easier than ever before.
Moving to the cloud is a necessity
In the pre-pandemic world, the move from in house hardware to the cloud was happening gradually. Data from McKinsey & Company suggested that most businesses had only moved 20% of their workloads into the cloud. When the pandemic hit, lots of workers were left with almost no access to the software and systems that they needed to carry out their work correctly from home.
Now that businesses have returned to a relative normal, we should expect to see 100% of their in-house systems moving onto a cloud based system. It is the smartest way to enable flexible working, as well as gaining the ability to handle any eventuality. Any businesses who have not considered a shift to the cloud will now have been prompted to do so.
The need for speed
2020 highlighted just how critical speed, flexibility and agility are in the IT industry. Those companies who are strategic, will continue to consider these things a top priority going into the new normal. Planning digital initiatives around these three key players will give IT services a competitive edge against others, who did not choose to prioritise these elements.
In summary, entering the new normal ultimately means entering into a whole different IT environment. These brief points are by no means the only changes we are due to see in the industry as a result of the pandemic.
Moving forward, members of the IT community must work together to ensure that they have devised a long-term plan with the businesses they support. Management teams must listen closely to their IT staff, to ensure that a long-term plan is in place to ensure smooth working from the office and home, as we attempt to navigate this post-covid world.
