CIO OPINION
Choice leads to innovation
Many of the technologies implemented over the past two years are those that businesses require as a basic necessity for operating in the digital world . In 2022 , technologies that so far have been more a figment of our imagination will start coming to fruition . In particular , we are likely to see more practical applications of 5G as businesses seek more consistency and choice through 5G-enabled applications such as intelligent predictive analytics and maintenance . This will be especially impactful for industries like construction , where we ’ re likely to see 5G used to improve productivity through the introduction of tools like connected drones , which take videos of building sites to provide live assessments of progress and safety .
Flexibility cannot flop
The following months look set to herald a more democratised approach to technology .
Taking charge of cloud consumption
The pandemic brought with it a mad rush to put data into the public cloud , but in 2022 more businesses as well as government organisations will realise their rushed cloud strategies aren ’ t giving them the outcomes they require . We can therefore expect to see more businesses seeking to be more selective in which applications and workloads they move to the cloud , as part of a more informed and intelligent multi-cloud strategy .
As part of this , it ’ s very likely that 2022 will see increased demand for technology that enables the more agnostic use of different cloud platforms , allowing businesses to better control the movement of their data and choose the environments – whether onpremises or in the cloud – that suit their needs .
The need for more choice will not only affect businesses , but individuals . Employees now expect flexible working as a basic requirement of most traditionally office-based roles . This means businesses must make a success of hybrid working in 2022 to keep their businesses productive in the long-term .
As a result , more investment into unified communication solutions is likely this year in order to piece the distributed workforce together , enable better remote collaboration and allow for more seamless communication across platforms like Microsoft Teams , Slack and Google Meet .
Successful hybrid working strategies will also require employers to be more imaginative in how they use physical office spaces . Businesses need to remember that the traditional ‘ banks of desks ’ structure is a thing of the past – or should be . Employees now require spaces to re-ignite innovation and encourage cross-pollination and collaboration across the entire business . Meeting rooms for example will need to be redesigned to cater for the hybrid meeting format , to make sure all those on calls are able to contribute to and benefit from such meetings equally .
To be continued . . .
Seeking more choice
Beyond seeking more control over their tech stack and data and accelerating their Digital Transformation plans at record pace , businesses have had their eyes opened to the different solutions available to them . Yet few have had the time to properly mull them over and make informed decisions as to which are best for the business – something that is about to change .
The pandemic has inspired – and in many cases , compelled – businesses to become more digitally savvy in their use of technology . In fact , many are being forced to accelerate Digital Transformation journeys that had previously seemed far out of reach to align with changing priorities . The following months look set to herald a more democratised approach to technology and we look forward to seeing how it , and the above predictions , really do pan out . p
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