Research institutes like Gartner, Forrester and other industry leaders have recently released their annual predictions for the year to come. 2023 is forecasted to behold some big trends in technology that CIOs and IT leaders should be preparing to navigate now—not later. Here’s our roundup of the top big-picture trends for IT leaders to keep on their radar.
1) Industry Specific Cloud Platforms
Within five years, Gartner predicts that more than 50% of enterprises will use industry specific cloud platforms to accelerate their business initiatives. What exactly does that mean? Put simply, generic cloud services that have traditionally been purchased separately will be bundled into industry-relevant solutions that increase agility and the speed of time to value.
Take an industry like healthcare for example. Combining software, platforms and infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) with functionality that’s tailored to the healthcare industry, organizations and their users will become enabled to better respond to constant innovation, disruption and the nuances of the industry.
2) Talent Shortages
It’s no secret that the need for cybersecurity talent is growing—and so too is the shortage of workers. According to Cyberseek, there are currently over 700,000 unfilled cybersecurity positions in the US alone. Worldwide, those numbers stack up big with a shortfall of approximately 3.5 million skilled workers.
According to TechTarget, the reasons for this massive skills shortage vary from increased demand to unrealistic employer expectations, lack of ongoing training and beyond. But all hope is not lost—here are a few things CIOs can do to mitigate this concern:
- Focus on building skills in-house through ongoing training and development.
- Question your employee retention strategy—are your incentives aligned with the industry, and what are you doing to keep good employees around?
- Take diversity into consideration in your hiring strategies—women are still largely underrepresented in the cybersecurity space.
3) Accelerated Digital Transformation
According to futurist Bernard Marr, 2023 will see a rapid acceleration of innovative technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), cloud computing, blockchain and hyper-fast network protocols like 5G.
As the lines between these technologies begin to blur, workplaces will see changes in remote work, augmented work environments and other creative innovations in the way we do business. The hope? Increased efficiency, automation and process improvements that make it easier than ever for staff to spend less time on mundane tasks and more time on what they do best.
4) Wireless Innovations
Gartner predicts that by 2025, 60% of enterprises will be using five or more wireless technologies simultaneously. From in-office Wi-Fi to mobile device services, radio connectivity and beyond, no single technology will dominate—instead, businesses will use a spectrum of solutions including 4G, 5G, LTE, and WiFi 5, 6 and 7.
What’s truly promising is that all of these solutions will move beyond connectivity and—according to Gartner—will “provide insight using built-in analysis and low-power systems will harvest energy directly from the network.” All this to say, the network will become a source of direct business value.
5) Rise of Superapps
By 2027, more than 50% of the global population will be a daily user of a superapp, says Gartner. What exactly is a superapp? It’s broadly defined as an app that provides end users with several functions and services within a single platform. Take Uber for example, which provides ride sharing, food delivery and other services all within a single superapp.
While many of the common examples of superapps are consumer-based, B2B superapps are making their emergence, too. Take for example how Workato automates HR onboarding by integrating several APIs into a seamless process using several technologies. This raises flags around information security while also presenting a unique opportunity for CIOs to lead corporate innovation with superapps that could dramatically increase workplace efficiency. Image source: Workato.
6) Sustainability
Sustainability is top of mind for consumers, governments and businesses across the globe—and one can’t mention sustainability without also mentioning technology. Environmental and social initiatives are now in the top three priorities for CEOs following profit and revenue, according to Gartner. But what does that mean for IT leaders?
CIOs need to consider how sustainability fits into their technology framework. This means assessing the energy and material efficiency of their IT services, and how IT can contribute to or lead the conversation around sustainability analytics, renewable energy and AI. Analyzing data-centre power consumption and making investments in sustainable technology all have the power to move the business in the right direction.
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