The impact of COVID-19 has been felt worldwide for the greater portion of 2020. The technology sector has experienced as much of an impact as any, from raw materials supply to electronics value chain disruption to increased security demands. With an acceleration in remote working and schooling, IT businesses have seen a rising demand for cloud infrastructure services, increased spending on specialized software, and heightened need for telecom services and communications equipment.
Everybody, pivot.
Pre-COVID-19, most organizations did not have a tech stack in place for a dependable business continuity plan. In our post-Coronavirus world of remote work environments and online schooling, IT businesses and service departments will play a much more significant role in BCPs, as companies recognize their need to establish a hardy yet flexible and secure network, disaster recovery systems, IT security, and more.
Technology consultant or business advisor?
IT businesses and MSPs are positioned more closely to customers now than ever before, such that technology consultants are often finding themselves in the role of business advisor. Businesses that had no online presence pre-COVID-19 are now pivoting to technology in new ways to stay afloat. The pandemic has forced IT businesses and their customers to forge more solid relationships to make it through the year and has accelerated the adoption of new solutions and technologies.
Increase expertise in the right areas.
To thrive in a Post-COVID-19 landscape, MSPs and IT businesses must focus on increasing expertise in:
- Long term support of remote work
- Diverse array of devices
- Identity authentication management
- Online meeting and collaboration tools
- Cybersecurity
- AI
- 5G
- Automation
- Cloud computing
Where we were already headed… but faster.
As technology continues to be an increasingly critical component of the “new normal,” IT businesses will continue to be in demand for their expertise and vision on countless fronts. Although this trend is not far off of the trajectory we were already on before COVID-19, the pandemic has certainly accelerated IT business trends as we move toward a post-COVID-19 world.
