So far in 2020, we’ve seen some of the biggest shifts in modern human history. From a health and economic standpoint, governments have moved mountains to stay one step ahead of Covid-19.
From a technology perspective, we’ve seen some trends being accelerated faster than anyone could have imagined. Businesses are being forced to make quick decisions – which has meant that drawn out information gathering and multiple layers of decision making are being replaced by the need for insights, agility, and implementation speed as businesses pivot to new business models.
Working with some of Australia and NZ’s leading technology companies, at RAW Marketing we have a front row seat for seeing the changing demands of B2B technology in the marketplace. While not an exhaustive list, we thought it may be worthwhile to point out some of the biggest technology trends we believe will continue to accelerate throughout the remainder of 2020.
1. The need to create agility in IT infrastructure
IT leaders have had to drive entirely different strategic outcomes from their infrastructure over the last few weeks – between new online portals for customers and employees, as well as storage and backup solutions for an almost entirely remote workforce. Current economic conditions have also required IT leaders to search for flexible and cost-effective infrastructure options.
As a result, the push towards hybrid models of IT infrastructure has gathered momentum, as these environments enable a business to leverage their own assets for security and compliance, while taking advantage of flexible and scalable cloud solutions when they need them. Over the long term, organisations will be seeking to quickly shift IT budgets from CapEx to OpEx as they try to create much needed agility in their IT spending.
2. Rising concerns about security
“Never let a good crisis go to waste” is what Winston Churchill famously once said. Cyber criminals have certainly been taking that advice in recent months, with a spike in every variety of cybercrime being recorded this year. Redscan research revealed that Covid-19 related scams were more searched for than those linked to Apple and Amazon, and many individuals have been targeted by coronavirus-themed phishing emails.
Between an increase in phishing, ransomware, bots and DDoS attacks on government and business infrastructure, it’s clear that security investments simply can’t be ignored. These investments will also be geared towards backup and recovery solutions in the event of a data breach, as well as solutions for securing remote WFH devices outside of traditional network security.
3. Everything as a Service
With constantly shifting technology environments and new demands from customers and employees, IT teams are trying to spend less time “keeping the lights on” and more time delivering outcomes. This has prompted a move away from owning and maintaining physical assets – instead asking an experienced service provider to carry out these repetitive operational tasks on their behalf.
This adoption of “as a Service” models has two key advantages. The first is that it allows IT teams to focus on the strategic value-driving tasks that are unique to their business. The second is that it allows IT teams to leverage the expert knowledge of niche service providers across endpoints, device management, security, backup, and network management.
4. The pivot to e-commerce
The rise of e-commerce and online shopping is certainly not new. However, many retailers and businesses have had to quickly pivot their traditional commerce channels to enable customers to browse and purchase products remotely. As an indicator, in Italy where lockdowns were enforced well before other parts of the world, e-commerce transactions have spiked 81% since the end of February. In Australia, one major book retailer saw their sales figures for puzzles spike from 5000 a week to more than 7000 a day, as housebound Australians sought to cure their boredom.
Pivoting to an online-first strategy is more difficult than simply setting up a website and arranging delivery though. E-commerce and online shopping needs to be supported by robust logistic systems – underpinned by reliable compute and storage resources, backup and disaster recovery solutions, as well as security solutions for protecting against bots and DDoS attacks.
5. The continuing shift to remote work and WFH
Regardless of when the majority of people head back to the office, there will be no putting the genie back in the bottle when it comes to remote work arrangements. Many organisations will be viewing this disruption as an opportunity to downsize their physical office footprint while exploring a form of hybrid office/home working model depending on their industry or business model.
These scenarios have placed new demands on infrastructure, as organisations have been forced to quickly create virtual environments for their workforce and their customers, outside of the traditional on-premise network. The rapid uptake of cloud-based collaboration, communication and project tools such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Slack is set to continue, as will the storage, security and devices required to support these outcomes.
However, as social creatures we will still achieve the best results when we’re able to communicate, collaborate and work in the same space – which means businesses will need to explore new digital solutions for creating more engaging and productive workplaces as we all return to the office.
What all of these trends have in common is the need to find reliable technology partners that can help an organisation achieve their new outcomes cost-effectively. As the economy recovers from the effects of Covid-19 over the coming months, there will be an increased demand for the skill sets and expert advice of qualified technology professionals.
Here at RAW Marketing, we’re proud to work with so many outstanding technology companies who are dedicated to creating the next-generation of technology outcomes for their clients. We’re committed to helping these companies develop agile marketing campaigns that connect their solutions with their clients’ new and existing challenges.
