The State of Information Technology (IT) in 2020

By J. E. Henry, CEO IT 4 the Planet

As we face another year, the challenges are immense and the demand for IT innovation is through the roof. Organizations are looking for the ideal IT solutions to ensure they are on top of their game. With the economy looking very solid for the foreseeable future, the demand for IT resources and solutions will stress the industry.

Security solutions and spending will increase dramatically because of the barrage of hacking attacks including Ransomware. Organizations will be increasing security budgets and looking for support from vendors who are “keen” on security solutions, process, procedures and standards.

It’s time to embrace the fact that IT is a key factor in the success of any entity. At IT 4 the Planet we are prepared to be part of the solution. We provide innovative and cost-effective solutions for a number of industries. Our staff has broad experience in leading projects that are delivered on time and within budget….our key strength is “using Information Technology to drive business value”. That sounds simple, but it’s not. It takes great people and innovation to drive home outstanding results.

The trends in 2020 are many and they include:

The IT skill shortage will drive automation and innovation. Given that the economy is flourishing, this presents challenges finding and retaining key IT personnel. Resources are in short supply. CIOs and CISOs will search for automated solutions that streamline various processes and tasks. Off-shore solutions also provide a medium for dealing with the personnel shortage. Many organizations are outsourcing software engineering to free up staff to focus on security, strategic planning, etc.
Cloud Computing: As organizations continue to look to the cloud to quickly implement new technologies, security for cloud and hybrid cloud solutions will become increasingly important. The cost, flexibility and speed of deployment are very attractive to organizations as they struggle to meet business demands while keeping costs lower. Cloud-based solutions are often the perfect fit. However, we must not sacrifice security for the sake of cost savings and/or flexibility.
Data privacy will create demand for new business solutions. Most organizations are tuned into the idea of ensuring consumer, customer and employee data privacy is reality. According to research, approximately 45% of all organizations consider data privacy as their top priority in 2020. Many failures and enhanced legislation is driving this need home. New and innovations solutions are on the horizon as key vendors help provide solutions to this complex problem.
Ransomware will continue to rise. In 2020, ransomware attacks will become even more prevalent and sophisticated. Organizations that collect and store a lot of personally identifiable data such as those in the healthcare and finance will be targeted. To mitigate the threat, organizations must implement measures to ensure fast detection of ransomware attacks and enable prompt recovery. At IT 4 the Planet we define those measures as “Pro-Active”…what must be done to try and avoid an attack and “Re-active”….what must be done if attacked (an Incident Response Plan).
AI-based solutions will be a new target for attacks. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a term we are hearing frequently. AI is defined as the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages. As organizations implement more solutions based on artificial intelligence (AI) various entities and individuals will be experimenting with ways to misuse those solutions. As an example, vendors need these results to improve cybersecurity, hackers will use them to conduct attacks.
Security training will become paramount. Organizations must invest in cybersecurity training and consulting to minimize the risk of data breaches due to employee mistakes. Key IT personnel and vendors must collaborate on new ways of helping organizations to better train it’s people and partners. Senior Management must drive this home by providing appropriate budgets and direction.
IT teams will make more investment in IT solutions and security. Organizations will see increases in budgets. CIO ‘s will need to ensure any investments in this area bring value to the business. To demonstrate enhanced productivity, reduced compliance costs and enhanced IT efficiency, they will develop key metrics and KPIs to report to management.
Senior Leadership must get on board. Senior management is a tough job. There are literally dozens of people, customers, employees and partners looking for attention regarding many subjects and initiatives. Part of the solution to make that process easier is innovation and creativity. Senior staff must provide direction and support to IT organizations. This must include increased spending for security and spending in other key areas to ensure their organization is prepared to deal with growth and the enhanced security threat posed by hackers from all over the world. Additionally, IT Governance should become a standard process. The objective of IT Governance is to ensure the delivery of business results not “IT systems performance” nor “IT risk management”- that would reinforce the notion of IT as an end in itself. To the contrary, IT Governance is about IT decisions that have an impact on business value.