Top 5 Business Technology Trends in 2019
Business leaders who make a point to be up on the latest IT trends tend to be a step ahead of competitors. As we prepare to ring in the new year, our experts at Atlas Professional Services are watching the IT industry and making predictions. Here are the top five business technology trends in 2019.
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Cybersecurity Focused on the End-User
In recent years, businesses have been particularly vulnerable to ransomware and spear-phishing attacks. These attacks can only succeed if a member of an organization follows the cybercriminal’s request. That could be opening a corrupt file or performing a particular action. So, even if networks are secure, businesses are still at risk if employees aren’t aware of how to identify potential cyberattacks.
Training staff to be on the lookout for attempted cybersecurity breaches will become an even bigger focus and a larger budget item for businesses. Hence, why we consider it one of the top business technology trends in 2019. As a side-note, we also expect to see proactive network security monitoring to notice patterns and malicious activity to stop it before it spreads. “Network security monitoring” is the collection, analysis and escalation of indications and warnings to detect and respond to intrusions.
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More IT Outsourcing
IT is more complicated than ever before. Cybercriminals are getting more sophisticated, workforces are going remote, big data is playing an ever-important role in business strategy. And these are just a few factors at hand. So, one of the top business technology trends in 2019 we’re expecting to see is more outsourcing of IT.
The difficulties of managing increasingly complex IT environments will lead to more small- and medium-sized businesses outsourcing their IT needs. Businesses unable to maintain a successful, secure IT infrastructure with an in-house team will look to managed service providers (MSPs) to fill this role.
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Increasing Shift to Co-Managed IT Services
Related to the above point, we expect to see more businesses seek support in the form of co-managed IT services.
Many MSPs offer the all-or-nothing approach of fully managed IT solutions. However, not all businesses need to outsource their entire IT department. Businesses looking to manage greater IT workload and complexities will need the flexibility to outsource as it makes sense. That may be only part of the IT operation. This is why an increased shift to co-managed IT services will be one of the top business technology trends in 2019.
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Cloud to Keep Decentralizing IT Support
As predicted on our blog last year, we expect to see businesses continue to increase use of web-based applications. And, businesses with IT models that are largely or even fully based on the cloud are likely working with many different vendors. This can decentralize IT support, and is one of the top business technology trends in 2019.
To address this issue, businesses will need to hire a strong IT professional(s) in-house. Or, they can work with an MSP to effectively manage these many vendor relationships and contracts.
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Artificial Intelligence to Aid Decision Making
Number five on our list of top business technology trends in 2019 involves artificial intelligence (AI). According to an article in Forbes, 80% of enterprises already have some form of AI, like machine learning or deep learning, in production today. And, 30% are planning to expand their AI investments over the next 36 months.
Businesses can use AI to inform marketing decisions, manage customer relationships, increase operational efficiencies and so much more. Businesses will continue to explore opportunities and experiment with AI to enhance business strategy and operations.
Keep your eye on these business technology trends in 2019 to stay current and competitive in the new year! And if you need help staying ahead of the curve or implementing any of these trends in your business, contact us today to learn how we can assist.
