6 technology predictions for 2022

We discussed the evolving communication and collaboration tools, increased cyber security spending, and IOB technologies in last year's predictions.

This year’s predictions reflect the changes rushed in by the pandemic and how businesses can plan ahead.

#1 Business will adopt the cloud at the cost of a rushed migration

Many businesses have felt the pressure to adopt cloud services like Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, and Unified Communication services to equip employees with communication tools as a result of the pandemic and will continue to do so. When rushed, a cloud migration can result in productivity-hindering errors and mistakes, particularly around security misconfigurations and permission errors. These mistakes are likely to cause major security breaches and disruption.

#2 The global chip shortage will continue throughout 2022 and into 2023

Earlier in August 2021, we spoke about how the pandemic induced a global chip shortage and how demands have been surging, further causing an increasing number of back-logged orders. Although the shortage was expected to last well into 2022, Forrester now predicts the shortage will continue into 2023.

Many businesses now have new budgets, so if procuring equipment is in your plan, it’s best to purchase as far in advance as possible. Talk to your procurement partner to determine how to secure the best delivery dates.

#3 There will be more emphasis on company culture

Culture is one of the most important aspects of overall business success; a happy team is productive! The pandemic and rapid shift to remote and hybrid working have made it challenging for leaders to offer employees an effective and engaging workplace experience, particularly social events and face-to-face interaction.

Now that we’ve settled into new routines this year, we expect more businesses to prioritise company culture to reinvigorate traditional collaboration and provide an engaging workplace experience. Emphasis will be placed on helping employees feel better physically connected to each other. For some organisations that have embraced a remote approach, creating seamless collaboration opportunities for employees will be fundamental.

#4 Ransomware will evolve and still be a prevalent cyber attack

Ransomware has been one of the most prominent, advancing cyber attack methods over the course of the pandemic. This trend will not only continue, but attacks will be more targeted.

Cybercriminals will use more sophisticated means of extortion, similar to APT attacks. Once they gain access to the environment, they will seek to exfiltrate data and extort the target by avoiding the encryption phase.

Cybercriminals will also focus on the supply chain to launch further attacks. While ransomware will be the motivator, i.e., the monetary spoils, the supply chain will be the means by which attackers can gain access to thousands of victims from various businesses at once.

#5 Cyber security will be a top priority

Over the pandemic, we saw a large increase in cyber attacks. As the pandemic continues, cyber-attacks are unlikely to slow down. With employees working from home, leaders face challenges in ensuring employees access data and company resources securely.

The Omnicrom variant has caused businesses to advise employees to work from home again. The new year brings new challenges and strategies to consider, and security leaders may need to argue their case for a sufficient budget to continue investing in cyber security.

#6 Edge computing will be trending

Edge computing has been a buzzword for quite some time now, but this year, we anticipate it will live up to its hype. Edge paradigms allow more computation to be executed where data is collected, and only necessary data moves to the core.

The increase in digitalisation is causing leaders to be more curious about edge computing due to its advantages of lower costs, persevered bandwidth and faster performance and actions. This trend won’t swiftly pick up and may take the next five years to become mainstream, but the conversations will likely get going.

For more information on the latest trends and how we can help prepare your business, contact our team today.