Logicalis CTO Toby Alcock highlights enterprise tech trends for 2023

Digital innovation and sustainability 

There has been a significant shift in customer concerns towards the environment, with 85% of global consumers willing to pay more for sustainable alternatives. Consumers are no longer satisfied with an organisation's intention and promise to 'go green.' This year customers will want to see transparent and demonstratable action. 

In 2023 digital innovation in sustainability and environmental issues will no longer be an afterthought. Businesses will increasingly look to digital managed service providers (MSPs) to balance efficiency gains with cost savings while driving greater business sustainability. It will become even more apparent in the coming year that choosing the right MSP to transition to the cloud will reduce infrastructure and energy costs and make more efficient use of resources.  

Cybersecurity

We enter 2023 following a series of high-profile cyber-attacks and data breaches, such as the Uber 2022 security breach. The rise in ransomware and cybersecurity attacks will continue to be a primary threat to organisations of all shapes and sizes. Yet, with the looming recession and subsequent economic turbulence, many businesses will be tempted to tighten their belts and cut cybersecurity budgets, thereby exposing themselves to cybercriminals as easy targets.

The cybersecurity challenge in 2023 will be maintaining and improving cyber defences while ensuring a cost-effective approach. The key is efficiency, which involves simplification and commodification. This year, we will see more businesses looking to find and take advantage of the skills and broad experience of security specialists to reduce those heavy IT cost burdens and improve their security posture.

Talent shortage 

The problem CIOs face regarding the strength of their cyber security teams will become even more challenging in 2023. Last year the Institution of Engineering and Technology estimated a shortfall of over 173,000 workers in the sector – working out to be an average of 10 unfilled roles in each UK business alone. 

Talent shortages have made recruiting more competitive than ever. Candidates now have the upper hand, scouting for workplaces that offer better work-life balances, hybrid or flexible working, and better pay. In 2023 we will see a big trend in using an expert outsource MSP for cyber security and other non-business specific roles.  

Recession-proofing – shifting to consumption based Opex

Moving to the cloud is the most effective way to reduce capital expenditure – moving a data centre refresh cost into an operational expense that can scale up or down as needed. And we’ll continue to see SD-WAN paving the way for the future of hybrid working, with businesses looking to deliver agile, cost-effective connectivity and a ubiquitous employee experience.

This year we will continue to see the move towards managed services as the demand for predictability and flexibility rises, and the ongoing skills shortage shows no sign of slowing.

Finding the right Managed Service partner will be critical to support the drive we’ll see to SD-WAN and cloud, crucial solutions helping customers navigate financial headwinds.

Digital workplace & sustainability

The pandemic was a massive catalyst for organisations to digitalise more of their business, work interactions, and employee collaboration. As a result, employees have enjoyed the idea of remote/ hybrid working as it provides them flexibility and autonomy. 

And the digital workplace won't be going away. A Gartner report highlighted that 40% of employees would leave their role if their employers tried to enforce an entirely in-person office environment. Continuing the option of remote and hybrid working will ensure organisations can retain the top talent they need to thrive while also delivering more sustainable working practices by reducing business travel and investing in digital collaboration tools.

In conclusion, the pace of change we saw last year will certainly continue. As an industry, we thrive on innovation, competition, and new challenges, and we achieved so much in 2022.

2023 will be another game-changing year, and I look forward to seeing the tremendous progress we can architect together.