{"id":47308,"date":"2021-11-17T07:37:58","date_gmt":"2021-11-17T15:37:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=47308"},"modified":"2021-11-17T07:38:00","modified_gmt":"2021-11-17T15:38:00","slug":"comptia-forecasts-a-return-to-acceleration-innovation-and-strategy-for-the-it-industry-in-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/news\/2021\/11\/comptia-forecasts-a-return-to-acceleration-innovation-and-strategy-for-the-it-industry-in-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"CompTIA Forecasts a Return to Acceleration, Innovation and Strategy for the IT Industry in 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Downers Grove, IL (Nov. 17, 2021)<\/em> \u2014 Companies in the business of technology and information technology (IT) professionals are optimistic that the new year will bring a return to growth and new strategic innovations, according to a new report published by CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the IT industry and workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>CompTIA\u2019s \u201cIT Industry Outlook 2022\u201d finds an industry and workforce eager to move on from nearly two years of keeping business and careers afloat and getting back to the mindset that was in place prior to the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nearly eight in 10 channel companies study said they are positive about their firm\u2019s prospects for 2022. That optimism is matched by IT professionals, with nearly 80% feeling about their role as a technologist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c2022 is shaping up to be a year of not just recovery, but of acceleration and innovation,\u201d said Seth Robinson, senior director for technology analysis at CompTIA. \u201cWe are seeing signs of this in IT budgets, in the initiatives that companies are planning and in the skills employers are looking to add.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIT channel companies that had been simply trying to hold on to existing customers are bullish on pursuing new customers and new customer segments in 2022,\u201d said Carolyn April, CompTIA\u2019s senior director for industry analysis. \u201cThat means they are going to ramp up sales and marketing efforts and move their business into new areas, especially consulting services and getting more serious about the internet of things, artificial intelligence and other emerging tech opportunities. It also means that they expect customers to resume their investments in technology.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The report includes 10 trends likely to shape IT, its workforce and its business models in the new year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>10 Trends to Watch in 2022<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>The Workplace Can No Longer Be Easily Defined \u2013 The definition of a workplace has changed, and likely for good. The swift move from traditional office-based work to full-time at-home work has exposed upsides and downsides that companies will need to balance in the year ahead. \u201cCompanies are definitely looking at hiring, but can they find people?\u201d Robinson noted. \u201cRemote workforce or back in the office? Finding talent is really going to contribute to this tug of war.\u201d<\/li><li>Changes in Business Travel Drive Innovation \u2013 Just as many workers discovered they could be as effective at their day-to-day jobs seated at home, many also found that business travel might not be as essential either\u2014at least not in its past form and frequency.<\/li><li>The Impact of Regulation Goes Beyond New Laws \u2013 \u201cTechlash\u201d has faded as a buzzword, but the sentiment is still real. Across the political spectrum, consumers and clients continue to have concerns about the market power of tech giants and the way data is handled.<\/li><li>Technology Budgets Experience Stealth Growth \u2013 Technology opportunities are moving beyond hardware installations and software licensing into a wide array of possibilities as businesses integrate technology into their long-term goals. Robust spending may not be obvious when it is allocated across IT department and business unit budgets.<\/li><li>Proactive Cybersecurity Takes a Big Step Forward \u2013 Momentum toward a proactive approach to cybersecurity is building. Penetration testing has become a distinct role within cybersecurity team structures. Organizations are starting to realize that either internal resources or outside partners are needed to identify and correct weak spots.<\/li><li>Channel Cybersecurity Has a Ways to Go \u2013 Expect channel firms to double down on cybersecurity to win deals and instill confidence in increasingly nervous customers. Ignoring this critical discipline puts a channel firm at a distinct disadvantage in the race to land and cement new customers for the future.<\/li><li>Consulting: Today\u2019s Channel Opportunity \u2013 More channel firms will have a reckoning that reselling products and services in a cloud marketplace era is fading, but they have volumes of opportunity to transform or expand as business consulting experts. \u201cChannel companies may not be the go-to source for what the customer is buying, but they can help customers figure out what to buy and what to do with that product or service, especially in areas such as security, compliance and technology integration,\u201d April explained.<\/li><li>Chip Supply Chain Woes Provide Wake-up Call \u2013 Channel firms, particularly the hardware-focused, may begin to consider whether it&#8217;s wiser to keep inventory, parts and components close to home, regardless of whether customer orders have been placed yet, in the event of component or other backlogs overseas.<\/li><li>Software Development Gets More Granular \u2013 Software applications continue to grow in number and complexity as businesses leverage technology to connect their workforce, reach new customers and improve productivity. \u201cTechnology firms and IT professionals need to become more familiar with software, especially understanding how software is used to drive a business forward,\u201d Robinson said.<\/li><li>Foundational Data Management Drives an Analytics Revolution \u2013 Business will be done differently thanks to data analytics. Companies with a strong data foundation will lead the way. But that can only occur once they understand data basics \u2013 the data they have; how it is collected, stored and secured; and what goals they hope to attain through its use.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>CompTIA\u2019s \u201cIT Industry Outlook 2022\u201d report is available <a href=\"https:\/\/connect.comptia.org\/content\/research\/it-industry-trends-analysis\">here<\/a>. For an in-depth discussion on key takeaways from the report, listen to the <a href=\"https:\/\/blubrry.com\/volley\/82966267\/episode-135-it-industry-outlook-2022\/\">Volley podcast<\/a> with CompTIA\u2019s April and Robinson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>###<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About CompTIA<\/strong><br>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.comptia.org\/\">Computing Technology Industry Association<\/a> (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world\u2019s economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Downers Grove, IL (Nov. 17, 2021) \u2014 Companies in the business of technology and information technology (IT) professionals are optimistic that the new year will bring a return to growth and new strategic innovations, according to a new report published by CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the IT industry and workforce. CompTIA\u2019s \u201cIT Industry Outlook 2022\u201d finds an industry and workforce eager to move on from nearly two years of keeping business and careers afloat and getting back to the mindset that was in place prior to the pandemic. Nearly eight in 10 channel companies study said they are positive about their firm\u2019s prospects for 2022. That optimism is matched by IT professionals, with nearly 80% feeling about their role as a technologist. \u201c2022 is shaping up to be a year of not just recovery, but of acceleration and innovation,\u201d said Seth Robinson, senior director for technology analysis at CompTIA. \u201cWe are seeing signs of this in IT budgets, in the initiatives that companies are planning and in the skills employers are looking to add.\u201d \u201cIT channel companies that had been simply trying to hold on to existing customers are bullish on pursuing new customers and new customer segments in 2022,\u201d said Carolyn April, CompTIA\u2019s senior director for industry analysis. \u201cThat means they are going to ramp up sales and marketing efforts and move their business into new areas, especially consulting services and getting more serious about the internet of things, artificial intelligence and other emerging tech opportunities. It also means that they expect customers to resume their investments in technology.\u201d The report includes 10 trends likely to shape IT, its workforce and its business models in the new year. 10 Trends to Watch in 2022 The Workplace Can No Longer Be Easily Defined \u2013 The definition of a workplace has changed, and likely for good. The swift move from traditional office-based work to full-time at-home work has exposed upsides and downsides that companies will need to balance in the year ahead. \u201cCompanies are definitely looking at hiring, but can they find people?\u201d Robinson noted. \u201cRemote workforce or back in the office? Finding talent is really going to contribute to this tug of war.\u201d Changes in Business Travel Drive Innovation \u2013 Just as many workers discovered they could be as effective at their day-to-day jobs seated at home, many also found that business travel might not be as essential either\u2014at least not in its past form and frequency. The Impact of Regulation Goes Beyond New Laws \u2013 \u201cTechlash\u201d has faded as a buzzword, but the sentiment is still real. Across the political spectrum, consumers and clients continue to have concerns about the market power of tech giants and the way data is handled. Technology Budgets Experience Stealth Growth \u2013 Technology opportunities are moving beyond hardware installations and software licensing into a wide array of possibilities as businesses integrate technology into their long-term goals. Robust spending may not be obvious when it is allocated across IT department and business unit budgets. Proactive Cybersecurity Takes a Big Step Forward \u2013 Momentum toward a proactive approach to cybersecurity is building. Penetration testing has become a distinct role within cybersecurity team structures. Organizations are starting to realize that either internal resources or outside partners are needed to identify and correct weak spots. Channel Cybersecurity Has a Ways to Go \u2013 Expect channel firms to double down on cybersecurity to win deals and instill confidence in increasingly nervous customers. Ignoring this critical discipline puts a channel firm at a distinct disadvantage in the race to land and cement new customers for the future. Consulting: Today\u2019s Channel Opportunity \u2013 More channel firms will have a reckoning that reselling products and services in a cloud marketplace era is fading, but they have volumes of opportunity to transform or expand as business consulting experts. \u201cChannel companies may not be the go-to source for what the customer is buying, but they can help customers figure out what to buy and what to do with that product or service, especially in areas such as security, compliance and technology integration,\u201d April explained. Chip Supply Chain Woes Provide Wake-up Call \u2013 Channel firms, particularly the hardware-focused, may begin to consider whether it&#8217;s wiser to keep inventory, parts and components close to home, regardless of whether customer orders have been placed yet, in the event of component or other backlogs overseas. Software Development Gets More Granular \u2013 Software applications continue to grow in number and complexity as businesses leverage technology to connect their workforce, reach new customers and improve productivity. \u201cTechnology firms and IT professionals need to become more familiar with software, especially understanding how software is used to drive a business forward,\u201d Robinson said. Foundational Data Management Drives an Analytics Revolution \u2013 Business will be done differently thanks to data analytics. Companies with a strong data foundation will lead the way. But that can only occur once they understand data basics \u2013 the data they have; how it is collected, stored and secured; and what goals they hope to attain through its use. CompTIA\u2019s \u201cIT Industry Outlook 2022\u201d report is available here. For an in-depth discussion on key takeaways from the report, listen to the Volley podcast with CompTIA\u2019s April and Robinson. ### About CompTIAThe Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world\u2019s economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[86],"tags":[146],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47308"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47308"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47308\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47309,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47308\/revisions\/47309"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47308"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47308"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47308"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}