The soaring importance of IT

Not only has the COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted all of us across the globe, it also completely transformed the way organizations function. As the pandemic forced people indoors, companies rushed to facilitate remote work and maintain business continuity. This is where IT departments stepped in. By deploying new technologies, upgrading existing solutions, and keeping a distributed workforce secure, IT teams did it all.

In order to understand more about this paradigm shift, ManageEngine conducted a global research survey focusing on remote work's effects on cloud usage and organizational security.

We also investigated trends related to AI, business analytics, and technology adoption.

The survey was completed by 1,210 qualified executives and technology professionals from India, the United States, Canada, Singapore, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. All participants were directly responsible for IT and procuring business technologies.

Our
Key Findings

(1/4) Autoplay

We find ourselves in a new world where remote work is encouraged, and the onus lies on organizations to foster a truly hybrid workplace. This research finds that IT is now seen as a critical business enabler that plays a key role in optimizing operations and addressing the demands of a transformed workplace.

Remote work will have a lasting impact with 96% of organizations stating that they will be supporting remote workers for at the least the next two years. Unsurprisingly, cloud solutions have emerged as a forerunner in technologies that can facilitate remote work. However, companies want more from cloud offerings, specifically in terms of performance, reliability, and security.

In order to support a distributed workforce, organizations are more willing than ever to invest in new technology. Security, reliability, and cost reduction were found to be the top three drivers behind organizational decisions to adopt new technology.

The survey also finds that organizations are increasingly relying on AI and business analytics to fuel data-driven decision-making and maintain their competitive edge. 89% of the companies surveyed indicated increased usage of business analytics; interestingly, this was primarily led by IT teams. Confidence in artificial intelligence has increased as well, as organizations look to AI for improvements in operational efficiency and improved customer experiences.

The results below have been organized into three sections

Cloud Reliance

IT Security

AI and Analytics

Cloud Reliance

(Remote work driving increased cloud reliance)

Due to the pandemic, technology professionals are increasingly prioritizing cloud security,
VPN usage, and remote worker support.

(1/3) Autoplay

(1/2) Autoplay

(1/3) Autoplay

(1/2) Autoplay

(1/2) Autoplay

(1/3) Autoplay

IT Security

(Security attacks targeting remote workers; companies responding slowly)

Security threats have increased, making it difficult for many organizations to handle phishing,
malware, and other network endpoint attacks.

(1/5) Autoplay

(1/2) Autoplay

(1/3) Autoplay

(1/5) Autoplay

(1/2) Autoplay

(1/6) Autoplay

AI and Analytics

(AI and business analytics growing rapidly to support data-driven decision-making)

More than ever before, IT personnel are relying on AI-based tools and analytics software to
inform their business decisions.

(1/5) Autoplay

(1/2) Autoplay

(1/5) Autoplay

(1/7) Autoplay

(1/2) Autoplay

(1/5) Autoplay

About ManageEngine

ManageEngine is the enterprise IT management division of Zoho Corporation. Established and emerging enterprises—including 9 of every 10 Fortune 100 organizations—rely on ManageEngine's real-time IT management tools to ensure optimal performance of their IT infrastructure, including networks, servers, applications, desktops and more.

ManageEngine has offices worldwide, including the United States, the Netherlands, India, UAE, Mexico, Singapore, Japan, China and Australia, as well as 200+ global partners to help organizations tightly align their business and IT. For more information, please visit manageengine.com.

Zoho building
X success