The pandemic phenomenon that we have been experiencing since 2020 has forced the world to stop and reflect on what to do in the face of this situation. There was a rapid adaptation to the new reality, namely in the business world, which led to the emergence of new work situations, such as home office and hybrid work.
As far as technology is concerned, the new tools implemented are here to stay and to show that, if they were already part of the daily life of individuals, they have become, and will continue to be, a certainty.
In fact, technology has revolutionized daily life, not only for companies but also for consumers. These technological advances have the potential to improve the processes and results of organizations, since they allow greater efficiency in management, reduce business costs and capture a greater projection in the market. It is then understood that the economic repercussions are evident, especially in profitability, productivity and responsiveness to a supply chain that has become globalized in recent years.
Companies have seen great change, where they have had to adapt to the new challenges that were, and are, emerging over time, namely rapid digitalization, driven by the Pandemic. It became apparent that even organizations whose market is not technology need to be enabled to do so, and if they are to remain competitive, growing and sustainable, they must certainly continue to innovate.
This process of technological business development requires pillars such as security, quality and cost efficiency, which provide greater efficiency and effectiveness in the day-to-day life of entities that want to be one step ahead.
Remote working was seen as a positive reinforcement for employees, as companies saw a growth in their revenues, as well as productivity, after adopting this flexibility.
TIC (Information and Communication Technologies) have assumed an important role in this digital transformation process, and the investment made by companies in this area, namely in terms of collaboration and video, implementation of Cloud technology and security solutions, has grown considerably.
It is understandable, then, that the world is heading towards normalization after the appearance of Covid-19, and it is crucial that companies, from all sectors, take advantage, in a judicious manner, of the financial resources made available by the European Union, such as the RRP. On this point, the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Elvira Fortunato, also said that resources should be applied “in the qualification of the Portuguese, in the development of science and in a convergence effort until 2030 in climate action and digitalization”.
As for perspectives on the future, in the Words to Partners section of the IT Channel, executive members of various technology companies were invited to give their opinion on the current IT market in Portugal. ActiveSys also participated in this round table, giving its opinion on the subject.
From the answers given during the conversation, it emerged that the area of security is the one in greatest demand, but also the one that presents the most difficulties. It was even highlighted that many IT managers cannot convince management to invest in certain tools, since many directors believe that it is enough to implement a firewall.
Market experts believe that this has changed and that digital is effectively the order of the day, even when it comes to work. A Cisco survey showed that employees prefer hybrid work and, in light of this, the technology itself is committed to replacing investment in hardware to consolidate itself as a software company. The strategy of this partner is focused on services such as cloud computing, 5G and holograms (Webex Hologram).
In the same sense, the lack of resources leads to an increase in projects that are more focused on the private cloud and on virtualizing a number of functions that, until now, were physical and immutable. Experts even reveal that there are more and more projects to completely virtualize solutions, as they are a guarantee of fast delivery.
The truth is that neither inflation nor geopolitical instability has slowed the pace of security investment in Europe in the area of Information Technology. An IDC study revealed that spending on TIC security is expected to grow by 10.2% in Europe, reaching USD 47 billion.
The Worldwide Security Spending Guide points out that services are the area that will grow most in 2022, influenced by the lack of professionals specialised in cybersecurity, being the area that will have the highest volume of expenditure, followed by software and hardware.
Stefano Perini, IDC European Data & Analytics and responsible for the research, states that “The evolution of the European cybersecurity market continues to progress at high speed. The growing threat landscape, the shift to hybrid working environments and a greater reliance on cloud services have expanded the attack surface for organizations, which need protection and monitoring capabilities.” The head further adds that “This has led European organizations to upgrade their security infrastructure, especially in cloud, network, and data security.”
Amongst the innumerable speculations about the future, it is foreseen the evolution of conduct based on sustainability, through the elimination of waste and of the most varied dispensable components, replaced by electronics and by the use of biodegradable materials, as well as by Artificial Intelligence.
Finally, the consultancy firm IDC reveals that European companies will invest almost 62 million dollars in the human development market by the end of this year, which includes technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, biometrics, exoskeletons and wearables. On this, the expert states that “We live in an era where talent and labour shortages, supply chain disruptions, safety concerns and hybrid workspaces are part of our daily lives. Human enhancement will be crucial to bridge gaps and address industry needs“.
Count on ActiveSys to prosper your business in this post-covid world.