Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2022.  Read them in this 14th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.

What 2022 Holds for IT and SaaS

By Uri Haramati, co-founder and CEO, Torii

Where do we work? In the office? In our homes? At co-working spaces?

We work in cloud applications. Remote, hybrid, office-based - all our work centers around software. And, as SaaS begins to dominate the workplace, and in fact, becomes the workplace, we have to ask - how does this impact companies and IT teams?

Here are three predictions for the future of work related to SaaS and IT.

Companies Will (finally) Embrace Decentralization

Who purchases software in your company? In the past, the answer was almost always IT, but now "it depends."

Software decision-making is now decentralized. Department heads and other stakeholders can make cloud software purchases with relative ease, sometimes without ever communicating with IT. This allows companies and people to move faster, innovate, and adapt to new challenges quickly.

Now let me ask another question: who's responsible for cybersecurity? The answer was IT - and it likely still is. So, while software actions are shared, accountability for cybersecurity still rests with IT. This can be a recipe for disaster.

Some companies might react and push back against decentralization, but this misses the point. Decentralization is not a problem or a mistake. It is a natural outcome of a rapidly changing work environment. It is a necessary evolution for fast-moving teams.

Department heads don't select software because they ignore IT. They do so because they have goals to hit, bottlenecks to open, and opportunities to take. 

My prediction: Organizations will embrace this new decentralized reality. They'll use SaaS management solutions to monitor shadow IT and discover new applications wherever and whenever they arise.

By doing this, companies will allow autonomy to flourish while also gaining visibility, centralizing critical knowledge, and minimizing security risks inherent in the new SaaS-everywhere world.

Organizations that do this quickly will have the most to gain. 

IT's Role Will (continue) to Shift

Instead of being a central authority on all-things-software, IT will become a central enabler, connecting threads throughout the organization. As decentralization pushes departments to become more efficient, IT will make sure that every department is working together, thus optimizing the entire company.

IT will reduce bloat, consolidate similar software, monitor usage, identify shadow IT, and more.

Their role will be that of the conductor of an orchestra, bringing unity and harmony between different groups within the organization, all for the betterment of the company.

My Prediction: IT will be recognized as the strategic enabler of technology throughout the company. Not a rubber stamper or ticket-response team.

Companies Will Make Offboarding a Key Focus

When someone leaves a company, they take knowledge and experience, but they also create a hole in the company's security.

76% of IT professionals say that offboarding represents a significant security threat, especially when it comes to access privileges.

Remember, software dominates the workplace. Our communications, data, content, IP are all accessible through cloud applications. Enabling employees to retain access after leaving your company is worse than letting them keep the keys to the office.

Unfortunately, offboarding is a multi-step process that is often left incomplete - which results in that hole staying in our security for days, weeks, or longer. Often, unbeknownst to anyone in the company.

To add fuel to the flame, we have the Great Resignation. A tidal wave of resignations, demanding more and more time and resources from our IT departments. Demanding that they keep us safe without providing the tools to do so. This cannot persist.

My Prediction for 2022: Companies that want to thrive moving forward will focus on improving their offboarding process. They will:

• Finally recognize the security threat
• Identify the time cost
• And find solutions to automate difficult and time-consuming offboarding tasks
  

In 2022, I believe we will see a record number of organizations realize how much the world of business operations has changed. Of course, some will continue to fight this evolution by holding on to centralized authority, but most will reorient their processes and tools to align with the decentralized way people work today.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Uri Haramati is co-founder and CEO of Torii, whose automated SaaS management platform helps modern IT drive businesses forward by making the best use of SaaS. A serial entrepreneur, Uri has founded several successful startups including Life on Air, the parent company behind popular apps such as Meerkat and Houseparty. He also started Skedook, an event discovery app. Uri is passionate about innovating technology that solves complex challenges and creates new opportunities.