Many companies of various sizes and industries have commenced the race towards digital transformation. A new survey by IDG and Computerworld reveals that digital transformation is well underway, with organizational systems now 53% digital on average. Meanwhile, momentum is expanding for hybrid cloud adoption in regards to core business applications.
There are significant impediments on this digital journey—shortage of skilled technical resources, conflicting industry guidance, and diverse offers from the managed service community just to name a few.
And, not to mention, never in the history of IT has there been such pervasive security violations, breaches, and vulnerabilities. 2016 was record setting in terms of security breaches until 2017 came along. The average cost of a data breach has now reached $4 million, according to a Ponemon Institute report. And it’s not just an enterprise problem. Fifty percent of small businesses were breached over 12 months, according to a 2016 Keeper/Ponemon report.
Also, 60% of enterprises and 39% of small businesses expect to increase their spending on security, the IDG report said. Yet, the forecast for obtaining qualified technical talent will remain bleak. Cisco estimates there are 1 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs worldwide. By 2019, the shortfall will reach 1.5 million, according to Symantec.
Another area of keen interest to businesses is big data analytics. Enterprises are increasingly taking advantage of technology’s ability to collect information about their customers and their own internal processes, using the information to make data-driven decisions.
The big data and business analytics market will grow to over $203 billion by 2020, an IDC report predicts. In the banking field, these investments will focus mainly on security- and compliance-related issues. For manufacturers, federal and local government agencies, and professional service providers, the focus will remain on customer information and improving the user experience.
With such reliance on their digital platforms for go-to-market success, organizations will require technical expertise and managed services to not only compete in the 21st century, but survive. Ninety-five employers in a PwC survey said they had trouble finding workers skilled in data science and analytics. Job postings are expected to reach 2.7 million in 2020.
Companies are increasingly integrating technology into their operations to improve efficiency and productivity. In the IDC report, 35% said they plan to increase spending on mobile applications and 33% plan increases in application development.
These areas, too, require expertise. Slow connections and buggy applications alienate employees and customers alike, a problem companies can ill afford in today’s hypercompetitive environment.
To find the expertise they need and successfully manage IT operations, companies are increasingly turning to managed services. The global managed services market is predicted to grow to $193 billion by 2019, according to a report by IT industry association CompTIA.
Not surprisingly, obtaining help with security is the top reason for growth. Forty percent of companies in a study by CIO, CSO, and Computerworld said they were using managed services partners for security. The top functions outsourced include penetration testing and threat assessments (cited by 70%), threat intelligence (40%), log monitoring (34%), anti-DDoS and application firewall protection (27%), and business continuity and disaster recovery (26%).
Businesses are also turning to outside providers for help with big data analytics, a 451 Research report found. The majority of internal IT departments can’t support the shift towards data analytics without external support.
To bring all this together, organizations are seeking managed services to bring modular support services for security management, infrastructure management, and end-user support services through a foundation of common operating standards, systems, and automation as they adopt new operating models in the era of digital transformation.
Connection’s Service organization offers an impressive group of professionals with industry recognition as experts in digital transformation initiatives. Beyond these advanced technical services, sourcing advanced technology, and software licensing, Connection brings forth a full range of ITSM/ITIL-based managed IT services—from managing security IDS/IPS, infrastructure performance management, and resolution management to Network Operations Center to supporting your end users through our Service Desk. As a leader in the IT services industry, Connection maintains over 400,000 certificates and scripts to enable self-healing and automation to avoid dependence on a shrinking labor pool. In addition, Connection maintains world class configuration and depot centers in conjunction with field service technicians to aid in deploying, maintaining and managing services across the country.
Don’t let your company fall behind in the digital revolution. Instead of worrying about spreading your IT staff too thin, focus on your business objectives and let Connection take care of the rest.
Richard Emil
Richard Emil is VP of Managed Services for Connection with over 20 years of experience in the areas of sales and service. Mr. Emil holds a Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, and Finance from California State, Long Beach. Rich's hobbies include camping, fishing, watersports, and spending time with his family.
