Stuck in your IT bubble as a CIO? Chief information officers will have to expand their horizons to AI, robust monitoring, data centralization, and business acumen to meet their business objectives this year, says the International Data Corporation (IDC).
The IDC recently released a roundup of top five predictions for CIOs this year, inspired by 10 predictions discussed at their most recent FutureScape conference.
So how will emerging technologies shift the role of CIOs? Let’s dig into some of their predictions.
Most CIOs will use AI by 2028
The IDC predicts that 86% of CIOs will use AI to make businesses more agile. To stay competitive, CIOs will need to brush up on emerging AI tech, and invest in their own training if necessary. On top of that, they’ll need to spearhead an example to align their company culture to AI adoption.
In an interview with CIO, Robert Orshaw, managing director with Deloitte Consulting, said that utilizing AI in combination with a robust IT platform will reduce cost and can “predict and identify potential issues before they occur.”
Limited IT support creates risk for new digital tech
We mentioned AI but what kind of AI? We’re talking digital tech like generative AI and deep intelligence — two technologies that will present risks amid limited IT support. This means CIOs will need to prioritize the right combination of tech and talent to prepare for the tech they’ll feel pressure to adopt (65% of CIOs will feel this).
Some companies will have the internal talent to develop and train further, but others will likely require third-party resources to help, according to IDC predictions.
CIOs will have to beef up cybersecurity measures
The fact that cyber risks are on the rise isn’t surprising anyone, but being proactive about staying on top of emerging threats is key.
This isn’t just necessary for certain technologies, but all systems and processes as a way to protect customer data and neutralize cyberattacks. This is predicted for 75% of CIOs by 2027. The IDC sees a need for CIOs to embrace a multi-layered approach instead of the more common solutions.
Adapting to a data-centric culture
Data is a vital strategic tool to drive business growth. The IDC predicts that 45% of CIOs will prioritize strategic data management by 2025 to achieve business outcomes and goals. The most important part? Not just preserving data, but identifying the critical data points and ensuring data is accessible on a dedicated platform.
Poor investments will threaten revenue in 2025
CIOs were once information and tech gurus siloed away from the business side of things — but those days are gone. If a CIO doesn’t adapt with more business acumen, they’ll be part of the two-thirds of CIOs expected to fall short on 2025 digital revenue goals.
So, how can you succeed as a CIO with all these changes? Focus on efficiency. Here’s how:
- Prioritize projects: An umbrella of general business and IT projects can quickly get overwhelming. Rate projects in order of importance based on business value, measuring progress with costs, resolutions, and customer satisfaction.
- Monitor progress and use benchmarks: Compare performance with industry standards regularly to stay ahead of the curve and clearly define success for your employees.
- Leverage AI to stay competitive: There’s always going to be a mountain of tasks you need to oversee as a CIO. One routine task here, a fire to put out there — where AI can help you identify smoke before becoming fire while automating tasks to save time and better serve customers.
Read the full report from the IDC here.
