These Factors will shape the IT Industry in 2021
The market research institute International Data Corporation (IDC) has issued its forecasts for the IT industry in the coming year. In addition to digital workplaces and the use of artificial intelligence, sustainable, climate-friendly solutions are also becoming increasingly important for companies.
With the FutureScape study, IDC has made important statements and forecasts for the IT industry in the coming year 2021. However, the statements also relate to the global economic system in the coming years. In this context, the pandemic also influences external factors.
As of today, 65 percent of global GDP will have been converted digitally by 2020. For this reason, costs of $6.8 trillion are expected from 2020 to 2023.
According to IDC, these three areas will become key issues for executives in the future:
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All initial shortcomings need to be addressed, especially those caused by hasty responses to the pandemic.
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Positive progress must be followed up.
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New technologies must be integrated to generate a new normality.
Rick Villars, IDC Group Vice President Worldwide Research comments:
“The Corona pandemic clearly demonstrated that the ability to quickly adapt and respond to unplanned and unforeseen business disruptions will be a clear success factor in our increasingly digital economy.”
IT-Trends 2021
The most important ten points of the FutureScape study:
1. Cloud
The shift towards cloud computing continues to move forward. According to IDC, by the end of next year, 80 percent of companies will adopt such technology to build cloud-certified infrastructures.
This will also further establish managed cloud services in the market.
2. Edge
In addition to the cloud, edge computing is also becoming a key issue. By 2023, IT edge-oriented companies will have to adapt their business model to the changing work behaviour. This includes, above all, the introduction of new solutions for the cloud as well as for networks, which will increase flexibility and make it possible to react more quickly to requirements.
3. Digital Workplaces
By 2023, every employee must be equipped with all the necessary hardware and software so that interaction in real time is possible permanently and regardless of location.
4. IT-Heritage
The pandemic is responsible for many hasty decisions. Numerous shortcomings and mistakes were made. These must be remedied in the coming years. According to IDC, these aspects can bring the company up to date with digitization through the right approach.
5. Resilience
In 2022, digital resilience is highly relevant. 50 percent of companies will react faster this year than those that remain on current technologies. According to IDC, the ability to adapt quickly to drastic changes will become a key competitive advantage.
6. IT-Services
Cloud technologies that enable the control of IT resources and real-time data analysis will be established as the basis by 2023. For this, a corresponding infrastructure must be built.
7. AI
25 percent of G2000 companies have the goal of making their products and services smarter. In the long term, this will require the use of AI. Some companies will offer these services because this business area is proving profitable.
8. Business Relations
In order to fully implement the digitisation strategies across the value chain, companies are re-evaluating their suppliers and partners. Accordingly, only relationships that can be integrated into the company’s IT ecosystem are maintained.
9. Sustainability
According to IDC, by 2025, 90 percent of companies will be operating with recyclable resources and have energy consumption targets as well as CO2 targets. Suppliers must also have these aspects in order to enter into business relationships.
10. People
Another factor that is always important is people. This is mainly based on the fact that many companies will fail or make mistakes in the implementation of their digitalization plans. This also includes investments. To counteract this, by 2023 many companies will turn to models such as crowdsourcing, flexible sources of skilled labour or even internal staff to continue driving progress.
