Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2021. Read them in this 13th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
And the Survey Says… Data-Driven Technology Predictions for 2021
By Peter Tsai, senior technology analyst at Spiceworks Ziff Davis
Thanks to a global crisis, 2020 was a year of huge change. The “remote work revolution” kicked off by the global pandemic rocked the business world, and the shift to a work-from-anywhere “new normal” will drive tech trends for years to come.
Spiceworks Ziff Davis (SWZD) has deep relationships with millions of IT professionals around the world, which allows us to keep our fingers on the pulse of technological change as it happens. Throughout the year, we continuously survey our community about technology adoption and business plans. Below, you’ll find several trends to watch for in the coming year, which are highlights from our infographic, 13 Business and Technology Predictions for 2021.
If you’d like additional information on any of these predictions, we’ve also linked to our original research studies, where we’ve shared even more in-depth insights.
- More than half of businesses will maintain flexible work-from-home policies on a permanent basis – even after the COVID-19 crisis ends – dramatically altering tech priorities and spending plans and accelerating change.
- For example, COVID-19 and the shift to remote work will accelerate cloud migration efforts in 35% of organizations. As a percentage of overall tech budgets, cloud spending will grow to 24% of IT budgets in 2021 – up significantly from 21% in 2019.
- Due to the increased popularity of remote work, one-third of businesses are considering or have already reduced their office space. This trend might take a few years to fully emerge, as many businesses will wait until corporate leases expire to take action.
- As workers grow accustomed to more modern tools, communication styles and requirements will shift. Some 37% of IT pros said users prefer business chat apps over email (up from 31% in 2019), and adoption of secure and unified communications platforms will grow by more than 10% over the next two years.
- However, connectivity will continue to be a bottleneck for some remote workers – 72% of businesses say insufficient internet bandwidth (either in homes or in the office) limits remote worker productivity.
- Perhaps that’s why more than one-third of businesses will be interested in using low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet services – such as SpaceX’s Starlink – primarily to provide low-latency broadband connections to underserved rural offices and workers.
And there you have it… a sampling of the many insights we gain from ongoing IT research.
While we don’t have a magical, all-knowing crystal ball that can predict everything 100% – pretty much no one knew exactly what 2020 would bring ahead of time – we have the next best thing. Thanks to the many IT professionals who take part in ongoing SWZD research, we can help everyone in the tech industry stay up to date and informed.
Whether you’re an IT practitioner working in the trenches, a business decision maker, or a tech marketer looking, our data has a little something for everyone. For businesses, we can help you benchmark your IT budgeting plans against your peers or help you get in front of emerging tech trends. For IT vendors, we offer cutting-edge intent data that can help you identify businesses most likely to be in-market to buy your solutions.
Whoever you are, there’s plenty to look forward to in 2021… and beyond. And as we have for years, SWZD will continue to provide unique tech insights for everyone in the IT industry.
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About the Author
Peter Tsai is a senior technology analyst at Spiceworks Ziff Davis, the trusted global marketplace that connects technology buyers and sellers. Over the course of more than two decades, he has lived IT from the inside and out, working as a systems administrator, programmer, and server engineer. Peter now conducts business technology research and shares valuable tech insights through content that helps IT professionals and tech vendors do their jobs better every day.
