How will the world of business technology be re-shaped in the year ahead, especially in relation to bringing together different services and solutions?
To gain an insight into some of the key trends that may occur in 2022, Digital Journal spoke with Alex Hoff, Chief Product Officer & Co-Founder, Auvik. The main trends picked up by Hoff include technology consolidation and the future of the network.
Tech consolidation
The process of technology consolidation is partly a product of the alternations to work that began with the business responses to the coronavirus pandemic. Hoff puts this into context, noting: “In 2020, many organizations hastily implemented new digital tools to ensure business continuity in the age of COVID-19. As a result, many technology providers and MSPs saw immense revenue growth throughout the pandemic.”
So, what has happened since then? According to Hoff: “After nearly two years to settle into this “new normal,” 2022 is likely to be a year of tech consolidation as organizations reevaluate their tech stack to simplify and cut costs. For MSPs and technology providers, this means it may be time to reevaluate services and offerings to maximize the value we provide to customers.”
As to what this might mean during 2022, Hoff predicts: “That could mean providing more services or software to cover the full tech stack or moving beyond traditional IT services to establish their company as a trusted IT advisor and consultant. For example, we’ve seen MSPs expanding their service stack over the last several years with more cloud, security and data-focused services.”
The future of the network
With the continuation of hybrid and remote work, Hoff predicts that “businesses will need to take steps in 2022 to make networks more mobile and agile.”
There are examples as to what this might involve. Hoff cites: “We’ve already seen many organizations take these steps, with Auvik’s recent Network Vendor Diversity Report finding a 0.8 percent increase over the last year in access points and a shift to higher-quality access points in-office, but additional investments are needed to support flexible workforces.”
As to what else may happen, Hoff says: “In addition to access points, it may be beneficial for businesses to consider investing in home office networks to support remote workers, providing a monthly budget to improve bandwidth or providing remote user network performance monitoring.”
As an example, Hoff says: “A study from Zen Internet found that home workers waste an average of 30 minutes per day as a result of unreliable internet connections, and a survey from Keesing Technologies found that 35 percent of survey respondents had difficulty completing daily job tasks due to a weak internet connection. It pays to invest in remote workers’ home networks.”
However, where more investments not needed? Hoff indicates this will apply to: “Physical routers, with Auvik’s research finding many businesses are no longer investing in — a trend that is likely to continue in the coming years with less emphasis on in-office networks.”
