Hi All,

Welcome back and thanks for reading the KMT Download.

We are very excited to be finally coming out of Lockdown 6.0, the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back for us Victorians.   With many of us slowly re-entering our office spaces for the first time in 3 months we need to talk about what’s new in tech to make the inevitable transition from the office to remote working seamless and productive with a quick look at what’s to come in IT for 2022 & beyond.

The way we work has changed forever

The modern workplace is constantly evolving and placing increasing demands on businesses to keep abreast of the latest technology, communications and automation.  To keep up with these changes, business leaders must rise to the occasion and show a deep understanding of the latest workplace trends.

51% of workers will be remote by the end of 2021 (1)

Remote working varies considerably depending on a business’s IT adoption, culture and industry.  A lasting impact of remote work is resulting in the evolution of businesses’ IT infrastructure that has the capability to enable teams to work from anywhere.

“Businesses will be forced to bring forward digital transformation plans by 5 years.  Those plans need to adapt to a post COVID-19 world that involves a permeant high adoption of remote work and digital touchpoints”  Ranjit Atwal (Senior Research Director, Gartner) (1)

This longer strategic planning will require continuous investment in strategic ‘remote-first’ technology along with new concepts such as hyper-automation, AI and collaboration technologies to open up more flexibility of location choice in job roles.

Microsoft has followed suit with the recent launch of Windows 11 which puts user experience, mobility and connectivity at the center of the design.  We understand that many of you have questions about Windows 11 and have prepared a comprehensive guide on our thoughts and what to expect.

Related:  Windows 11: What is it & how do I prepare my business?

In fact, we are also preparing a Windows 11 readiness assessment where we can advise you of everything you will need to consider as a business before you make the move.  You can register your interest now and we will be in contact in due course.

Demands for PCs and tablets are exceeding supply and cloud migrations and digital transformation are being deployed at a rapid rate to enable remote working.  In fact, by the end of 2021, it is estimated that spending on Cloud Services will grow 23.1%.  Social collaboration tools will continue to be a must-have to enable teams and people to stay connected.

We are seeing businesses changing and adapting their IT approaches to ensure business continuity among their remote workers.  By 2024, we envisage at least 40% of all remote access users will be served by Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), up from under 5% in 2020.  ZTNA will become the primary replacement technology. (1)

In fact, we are seeing this play out with our own teams with some of our key staff electing to relocate back to their home towns or for health reasons opting to work remotely.

Cyber Security moving forward

It is safe to say that 2021 was a tumultuous year for cyber security with many breaches and opportunities provided to hackers with the move to remote working, but what will 2022 look like?

Many workplaces were forced to deploy new hardware and software in record time to ensure the continuity of their businesses, leaving little to no time to consider their cyber security integration.

“With teams working remotely for the foreseeable future, now’s the time for IT teams to start focusing on security, with monitoring and threat detection both high priorities, Hybrid working, as well as the growth of BYOD and cloud computing, has shifted the definition of a security perimeter. It now includes identity systems, as well as firewalls and IPS tools. It’s critical businesses extend their visibility to include these.” Cassio Sampaio, Senior VP Auth0 (2)

The modern workplace of today now more than ever need to consider protecting business assets both physical and digital.  From a risk perspective, the threat of cyber-attacks are significant and the impact devastating.  The good news is that businesses can stop many potential online attacks.

We are currently working on our own Cyber Security offering and will be launching a 2.0 version very soon.  If you would like more information, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

What does 2025 look like for technology?

With so many Technologies emerging it can be challenging to keep up.  Some will be a passing fad, but others truly have the potential to disrupt the status quo and alter the way people live and work.  I thought it was worth touching on a few of these:

1. Mobile Internet:  Interfaces, formats, sensors and apps will evolve as mobile devices dominate internet connectivity.
2. Artificial Intelligence:  Machine learning and user interfaces such as speech and gesture recognition will advance to increase productivity.
3. Virtual or Augmented reality:  Major upgrades will be made to IT infrastructure and an ecosystem of apps will be launched for consumers and businesses.
4. Cloud Technology:  This is not going anywhere – nearly ALL IT services and web apps could be delivered through the cloud with more businesses using the public cloud as cyber security improves.
5. Internet of Things:  more than 9 billion devices are currently connected to the internet and this will grow to nearly 1 trillion over the next decade.
6. Advanced robotics:  Advances in AI, machine vision, sensors, motors etc.. will change the way that products and services are delivered.
7. Biometric Technology:  72% of companies are planning on dropping traditional passwords by 2025.
8. 3D printing:  could enable mass customisation and dramatically reduce the cost of supply chains generating an estimated economic impact of $230-550 billion annually by 2025.
9. Genomics:  DNA sequencing technologies and advanced analytics will improve agriculture and reduce reliance on fossil fuels and extend human life expectancy.
10. Blockchain: expect streamlined, secure contracting and transacting driving commercial use.

“Businesses will need to put talent development and future workforce strategy front and centre to their growth. Firms can no longer be passive consumers of ready-made human capital. They require a new mindset to meet their talent needs.” World Economic Forum (3)

Conclusion

As I look back on the extraordinary challenges we have faced in the past 2 years, I am looking to 2022 with a sense of optimism.  We are much more realistic now, battle-hardened and more professional:  The “new normal” really has become the new normal.   We are very grateful for our clients who continue to provide us with interesting, challenging and important work.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your ongoing strategy, please feel free to reach out to your Account Manager or myself for a strategy session.

Take Care!

Bradley Kaine
Managing Director – KMT