Managed services to dominate in 2021: Data#3 report

Data#3 has released a report compiling what the company’s specialists and leaders perceive for the future of the IT industry.

The report, titled Future in Focus, is divided into sections on enterprise tech, customer experience, cybersecurity, workforce, healthcare, and education.

When it comes to enterprise technologies, the conversation has now shifted from product-based to outcome-based discussion, the report notes. Success with enterprise customers must come from a place of understanding key objectives that will depend on the type of organisation and the current state of their technology investment.

Everything-as-a-service is only going to continue its takeover of the market as hardware from physical infrastructure to devices continue to move toward a consumption model. But with that recurring revenue comes customer expectations for flexibility, scalability and support that will need to be met.

Related: Top 5 Benefits of Managed IT Services

Data and analytics will become vital for all large organisations, the report explains adding that it is a complicated task that will require investment over and above the IT department.

”Organisations must ensure that data is cleaned, measured, safeguarded, mined for insight, and harnessed appropriately. Extending far beyond the remit of a CIO or CTO, harnessing the power of data is a mandate for the entirety of today’s modern organisation. 

Data also plays into customer experience as simplicity for the user has become paramount. Seamless movement into and through sales and service is the big key for retention, an experience that the correct implementation of data will help to bring about.

However, the report also outlines that more data means more problems as threat actors and cybercriminals have increased their activity. In particular, the report points to a massive cybersecurity skills gap across the country, leaving a big opportunity for managed security services as security needs to be improved at every level, from basic human error to sophisticated AI attack prevention.

Now that the cat’s out of the bag, business leaders are going to have to get used to remote work being a viable alternative for workers. Hybrid approaches to work and learning are going to have to be embraced thoughtfully and in a way that works for both companies and their employees.

It also means that talent can be brought into an organisation from anywhere in the world and support and education can be provided to even the most remote communities. This flexibility will also attract more diverse talent which is shown time and time again to bring only good things to any organisation.

Perhaps the most notable change for the education and healthcare sectors is the potential for a more equitable system. In both of these cases, taking services online means a greater portion of the population has the potential to receive more learning and care and of a higher quality.

Of course, this is only if the infrastructure to support this is both available and affordable for those who need it. 

Looking forward, the report shows that the value of technology will continue to depend more on the correct application and management of solutions over time than the price of a sale.