TRENDING
A movement towards a less connected world could not be further from the plans of digital leaders across industries and geographies .
area of concern . Over half ( 59 %) said their business was plagued by global supply chain issues and shortages , while 58 % specified the global microchip shortage as a threat to their business .
These continued supply chain issues appear to be driving a need for more virtualisation , with growth aspirations underpinned by significant planned investment in digital infrastructure . Almost half ( 47 %) of respondents globally said they plan to facilitate global expansion plans by deploying virtually via the cloud , while the UK came in at a lower 40 %. More than a quarter ( 26 %) of IT leaders surveyed said they would achieve expansion using a bare metal solution , which was matched in the UK . Meanwhile , 47 % both in the UK and globally said they expect increased spending on carrier-neutral colocation solutions to facilitate the planned rise in digital deployments , while even more ( 59 % globally ; 61 % in the UK ) said they intend to increase investment in interconnection services as they plan to progress Digital Transformation and build resilience .
The pandemic also continues to have a significant impact on businesses ’ digital strategies . More than half of global and UK IT leaders ( 52 % and 57 % respectively ) say they are accelerating their company ’ s digital evolution because on the COVID-19 crisis . Indeed , over half ( 54 % globally and 56 %) confirm their IT budgets have increased as a direct outcome of its legacy – an insight into the now broadly acknowledged necessity for robust digital infrastructure to pivot to evolving business needs in an instant . Furthermore , the majority of respondents ( 61 % globally and 62 % in the UK ) believe the technology changes and investments implemented during the pandemic are here to stay .
“ The pandemic has seen truly impressive innovation and incredible acceleration of digital evolution globally , and EMEA is no different ,” said Russell Poole , Managing Director for Equinix in the UK . “ These results highlight more lingering caution felt by IT leaders in EMEA than their counterpart regions – not unexpectedly . While 59 % of EMEA respondents intend to expand into new geographies , the UK is tracking slightly higher at 62 %, which is hopefully indicative of further growth and transformation to come , despite recent adversity .
“ While there have been innumerable challenges over the last two years , the survey reveals some positives that can be taken ,” said Poole . “[ These include ] more than half of UK respondents confirming their digital evolution has accelerated and IT budgets have increased as a lasting result , as well as 62 % reporting
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