Top 5 IT Industry Trends for 2022

A New Year is here! With a new year comes new trends and new opportunities. Global IT spending is expected to reach $4.47 trillion next year, representing an increase of 5.5 percent compared to 2021. So it's safe to say that the IT industry is not slowing its growth any time soon. In this blog we're taking a look at those areas of growth as we've compiled a list of the Top 5 IT Trends for you to watch out for in 2022. Let's jump in.

1. Multi-Cloud Integration

Multi-cloud integration is the trend that has been on everyone's radar for a while since the shift to work from home in 2020. However, in 2022, its only picking up more steam. An Analysis from IT trade association CompTIA shows that 83% of companies have already moved either infrastructure or applications to a second cloud provider. Multi-cloud integration gives companies a flexible and cost-effective way to operate. One cloud platform usually cannot match all of the various requirements and workloads for entire organizations so having multiple cloud platforms ensures that your company's needs are met without missing a beat. Another reason to switch to multi-cloud usage is to avoid stalls when systems go down. Recently, we have witnessed some notable cloud systems go down and those using multi-cloud computing were not as affected as those solely utilizing one cloud platform. Multi-cloud computing looks to be a major trend in 2022 due to the increased performance, reliability, and flexibility that it offers.

2. Optimization For Hybrid Working

Going hand in hand with multi-cloud systems, optimizing your company for hybrid work is our next big trend. The COVID shift to work from home has completely altered what it means to work in the world. Now almost 2 years after the beginning of the pandemic, more and more companies are offering work from home or hybrid schedule solutions. Having cloud computing in place allows more companies to offer hybrid or remote working models. Since the mass switch to work environments, 61% of U.S. employees are wanting to work from home and have embraced remote work because they prefer it now. Listening to people's wants and needs when developing a return-to-work model is key to a successful hybrid workplace; without employees companies can't function. As the popularity of hybrid work environments continue to take over the modern workplace, you can count on companies optimizing their IT infrastructures to make hybrid working options more efficient.

3. Ongoing Tech Talent Shortages

Our next trend is a huge area of opportunity for most companies in the United States. In August, 2021, 2.9 percent of people quit their jobs. That was the largest total since December, 2000. Even with the IT industry growing rapidly, the trend of staff shortages and the growing skills gap loom heavily over companies this coming year. Gartner published a report in September noting that 64% of IT executives cite talent shortage as the most significant barrier to the adoptions of emerging technology compared with only 4% in 2020. In October of 2021, TalentLMS and Workable, polled 1,200 IT workers for its report and found 72% of respondents in the U.S. said they are thinking of quitting their jobs in the next 12 months. All of these statistics point to the fact that hiring exceptional IT talent in 2022 might be more difficult than many realize.

4. Cyber Security

Four out of five companies plan to increase their Cybersecurity budgets in 2022. With cyber-crime being the fastest growing crime in the world, companies need to start strengthening their company's network infrastructure to combat the very real threats they are set to face. At this point, cyber-crime has evolved to the extent where it cannot simply be prevented, however it can be stopped once it begins. Creating security policies and implementing tools to defend against attacks is critical. Companies were surveyed by Neustar International Security Council in November and 82% of those that responded confirmed that they had been on the receiving end of a DDoS attack at some time and while that isn't a notable increase from their previous reporting period, it is a 23% increase of those who reported such attacks pre-COVID era. Carlos Morales, Senior Vice President, Solutions for Neustar Security Services, gave some notable advice to companies regarding the Cyber Security trend for 2022. He stated, "By engaging the right tools, organizations can take large steps toward achieving their cybersecurity goals while taking some of the pressure off of themselves to bring in new talent in a very tight market for cybersecurity expertise."

5. AI Data Analytics

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the area of data and analytics will continue to gain steam in 2022. Gartner predicted that by the end of 2024, 75% of businesses will move from piloting to operationalizing AI, which will result in a 5x increase in streaming data and analytics infrastructures. AI is increasingly learning new algorithms used to analyze data and provide solutions similar to those provided by data scientists. Though AI will continue to impact data and analytics, it's important to realize that human intelligence is still quite necessary when it comes to the development of new algorithms. Which bring us to the point that professional training would be a fantastic way to increase your value to a company as AI continues to push forward in 2022.

Takeaways

2022 will be a year of evolution for the IT industry. Though many of these trends were present in 2021, they will now become a driving force in what defines success for most organizations. As more professionals leave their jobs for more growth, the skills gap is growing; The proof is in the stats. Help your team prepare for the changes by investing in their development. Your employees are the key to addressing all of the trends listed above. Whether it is training your current IT department in developing your company's cybersecurity infrastructure or upskilling current employees on your new multi-cloud computing systems, helping your current team evolve to handle these upcoming challenges is a great way to help your company reach their goals in 2022.

Want more information on how to help take your team to the next level? View our available courses here and make sure 2022 is the year of evolution for your business.