Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2023. Read them in this 15th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
How Data-Driven Enterprises Will Evolve in 2023
By Bryan Kirschner, VP of Strategy at DataStax
It feels like every year keeps trying to top the last with how many changes it brings, and 2022 has been no different. This past year brought intense change to the technology industry, whether it be the rise of the metaverse, the introduction of ChatGPT, or the lingering effects of the pandemic still causing havoc among tech companies. Data was central, and a word seen in headlines almost daily, for better and for worse. When harnessed effectively, data will propel companies into a smarter and more efficient future. As enterprises prepare for what many hope to be the fresh start of 2023, there are key practices that will help leaders and developers forge ahead.
IT Investments Continue to be a Saving Grace
In a recent survey, organizations that were more concerned about the effects of a possible recession were more likely to be planning bigger IT spending than those who were less concerned. Just 30% of companies with ‘no plans’ to make major preparations for a recession reported that they were getting ready to hike IT spending, in contrast to solid majorities – 68% and 55% – for companies who were already making recession plans or planned to in the near future, respectively. Today’s reality is that technology is one of the most powerful tools in a company’s toolbox to win share, take out costs, or generate new revenue when times are tough. In 2023, we’ll see those who lean into this pull away from those who haven’t.
2023 is Time for Real-Time
Developers are by and large practical problem solvers, so I’ve always found it wise to pay attention when they form strong opinions. By the mid 2000s, they were sure open source would change the way software was built. By the mid teens they were sure the cloud was the future. And now among developers we surveyed in 2022, the top three opportunities they ranked as “very important” in their work were remote work options, using real time data, and building AI apps. At organizations that have made a strategic commitment to using real time data, 86 percent of developers agreed that “technology is more exciting than ever”– 24 percentage points more than organizations with no real-time deployments. Simply put, the “jury is in” among developers who believe apps that use data to be smart in real time are the future- they are a powerful way to solve problems or delight users, and they are exciting to work on.
Friends Close, Customers Closer
Open source businesses will have a core set of customers who are strategically committed to both the project and a multicloud posture. By serving them well, and building intimacy with the project community, companies will earn pole position on how to enable developers and organizations to make the most of the technology. Then by deploying “cloud first,” they open the door to a broader set of customers who intentionally lean in to “best of breed.”
And this is where the work really starts: because the job isn’t to simply run a bunch of Apache-licensed code, it’s to use the scope, scale, and depth of data this affords you to be a steward, and an innovator enabling your current and prospective users to solve more problems, in more ways, not just with “your” product, but also the whole OSS ecosystem. That clarity of mission-that no hyperscaler will ever have- is how to attract partners and employees, not just customers.
While 2023 will undoubtedly produce its fair share of changes, pivots and surprises, enterprises that continue prioritizing real-time data and continue listening to developers will find themselves in strong positions to weather a variety of economic storms.
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