I always enjoy looking ahead to see what advancements and trends are expected to impact businesses in the coming year. Planning for these trends will not only guide how your company uses technology, but will also pave the way for long-term, sustainable ways of working and living.
The rapid shift to remote working has impacted practically every company's IT support needs. There are also indications that work-from-home programs have proven to be so successful that many businesses will continue to use them post-pandemic to some extent. According to a recent survey, 67% of all employers expect to keep their remote work programs indefinitely which means comprehensive tech support is more critical than ever.
So, what does 2022 hold?
The so called “pandemic tech boom” has helped organizations pivot and overcome roadblocks that no one expected to face. Small businesses have benefited from things like digital document signing, data security, and video conferencing solutions. But what will tomorrow bring, and what trends do you need to master moving into 2022?
- MFA – We can’t ever be certain that we are 100% protected all the time. However, I can't say it any clearer: if you do not have any Multifactor Authentication (MFA) in place and you haven't already been a victim of a cybersecurity attack, it's merely a matter of time before you are.
- Windows 11 – Microsoft began rolling out its new OS, Windows 11, back in October 2021 and will continue the phased release through 2022. Windows 11 comes with a ton of new features, such as the ability to download and run Android apps on your Windows PC. But keep in mind that not all of the features are available right away, and your systems may not yet be compatible. Stay tuned as we keep an eye on this new release.
- IT Health Check Up - An IT health checkup can give you a transparent look at the IT function of your business and aid in cutting through the confusion so you can see what's REALLY going on. By taking a closer look at your technology, you can take the steps necessary to avoid security problems down the road and reduce the likelihood of downtime and lost productivity.
- Reliable, Flexible Backup and Recovery - With the increasing amount of business data to be stored, the task of keeping it secure becomes more challenging. As a result, the demand for reliable backup and recovery solutions has never been greater.
- Outsourcing IT – Our increasing reliance on technology, means the need for trained IT specialists has dramatically risen over the past few years. Small- to mid-size businesses are often better served when they outsource IT. It has the potential to drastically decrease their cost of operations. Instead of hiring a technical team and paying for mandated perks and benefits, outsourcing provides the day-to-day technical assistance of an outside company.
- Network Assessments - Have you heard you should be considering a network assessment for your business but not sure what exactly that means, or how the assessment benefits your business? These are common questions and thoughts to have. Technology isn’t the simplest topic to grasp, or the most entertaining—so that’s why we’re here! Let us dissect it for you.
- Strategic Planning - With all the changes and advancements in technology on the market today, how can your organization determine which technology is worthwhile to implement? How can you get a competitive advantage over your peers or improve operations? A strategic technology plan will ease the transition of adopting technologies that ultimately benefit your business. And outsourcing the upfront effort to a professional service provider will be worth your time and energy.
- Budget – According to the Analyst firm Gartner, worldwide IT spending will rise to $4.4 trillion in 2022. The idea that technology is a cost center has long been a source of concern for businesses. The merging of technology and business strategies can provide owners with the opportunity to abandon a cost-cutting mindset in favor of an investment mindset that values strategic spending to increase revenue, growth, stock price, or other measures of business and shareholder value.
- IT Security – The last two years have brought to light the truly destructive nature of cyber criminals. Every segment of the economy, from energy to healthcare to education, faces steady cybersecurity threats from increasingly sophisticated criminals and aggressive state actors. As the cybersecurity race intensifies, companies will need to adopt greater IT security control measures.
- STEM Careers – While the STEM workforce has increased rapidly in recent years. It’s difficult to fully assess how the COVID-19 pandemic and any current or potential future variants will impact local economies in general or STEM jobs in particular. To be prepared, Silverado Technologies is working with many organizations in the Tucson community to bring more STEM careers to Southern Arizona.
Technology as a Strategic Asset
IT services have increasingly made changes that allow many small businesses to see that they, too, can view these IT services as more than just cost centers. It's now easier than ever to use IT services as strategic assets to move your company forward.
Here are a few things you should looking for in your IT service provider:
- Remote Support Services: to ensure your team can work from anywhere and that it’s sustainable.
- IT Security: the massive increase in remote connections and corporate assets now running on home networks presents a large security challenge for businesses.
- Increased Productivity: If your technology isn’t helping you to increase productivity, or is even slowing you down, it’s time to make a change.
What Next?
What are the top technology trends to expect in 2022 — and why are they valuable? Join us with Becky Richards on January 27th at 9:00 AM as we take a deeper look at these trends and how it could impact your business.
