Technology Reseller v35

technologyreseller.co.uk 07 TECH TRENDS example, a significant proportion of respondents took weeks or months to detect data theft by employees (26%), improper employee data sharing (18%) and admin mistakes (12%). www.netwrix.com/2020_cyber_threats_ report.html Have skills will travel Global Talent Visa applications have increased by 45% and 48% over the last two years and are expected to rise again from January 2021, when the scheme will open up to tech talent from the EU, claims Tech Nation, the official endorsing body for Digital Technology. Since November 2018, Tech Nation has received 1,975 visa applications and endorsed 920 from more than 50 countries. The largest number of endorsed applications have come from India, the US and Nigeria, with app & software development, AI & machine learning and fintech being the most common technology sectors. Two fifths (41%) of applicants choose to reside outside London in one of the UK’s regional tech hubs. Half (52%) of those endorsed for the Tech Nation Global Talent Visa since 2014 are now employed at UK tech firms. A further 28% have become tech founders. https://technation.io/tech-nation-visa- report-2020/ Meetings still a poor form of communication Coronavirus has radically changed how we all work, but some things have stayed the same, notably dissatisfaction with company meetings. Today, these might take place over Zoom and Teams rather than in a conference room, but still only four in 10 of 1,000 workers surveyed think meetings are an effective form of communication. The Modern Workplace report by UX design and development agency Sigma also reveals that 58% of respondents think internal communications could be improved, with 34% saying they need to be overhauled completely. Even so, a large majority, 78%, think it is easy (48%) or very easy (30%) to collaborate with colleagues working remotely. www.designedbysigma.com/ modernworklife Why digital transformation projects fail revealed by boxxe Avoiding business blind spots is the key to successful digital transformation, reveals new research by boxxe. Its survey of 251 IT decision-makers in companies with more than 250 employees shows that while 82% of UK businesses have introduced new digital solutions or fast-tracked existing digital transformation plans in response to the pandemic, 35% have seen a digital project end in failure. Reasons given include staff not being involved early enough (38%), companies trying to fit the business around a technology rather than vice versa (33%), lack of a clear vision and plan (31%), inadequate scoping and planning before starting (27%), lack of alignment between the IT department and other departments (25%) and lack of clear roles and responsibilities for roll out (24%). The research also shows that over half (53%) of UK companies have neglected to staff digital projects in the past and that, of those that did, 49% did not ring-fence additional time for staff to manage them. More than one third (42%) have undertaken projects without additional budget. Where projects are completed successfully, the main benefits are improved security (cited by 36%) enhanced productivity (34%) and better customer service (25%). Joel Berwitz Chief Revenue Officer for boxxe said: “Businesses are under a lot of pressure to create efficiencies and it can be tempting to fast-track digital transformation projects as a result. However, without proper planning and experienced staff to support implementation, a digital project can turn into a huge problem – costing time, money and morale that companies cannot afford to lose.” boxxe.com UK IT budget rises below the European average The good news is that 61% of EU businesses expect IT budgets to rise in 2021 to help them manage the Covid-19 pandemic and enable employees to work from home. The bad news is that, in the UK, rises will be below the European average. According to the State of Business IT 2020 report commissioned by sustainable Technology Lifecycle Management provider 3stepIT, European IT budgets are set to rise by an average of 21% compared to 2019 levels. The largest increases are anticipated in Norway (37%) and Germany (27%), with the lowest in the UK (16%) and France (15%). Carmen Ene, CEO at 3stepIT, said: “It’s now clear the mobile workforce is here to stay, and while IT budgets for many firms will increase to cover the costs of this digital transformation, IT managers are being asked to demonstrate the value of every expense. Alongside more flexible working solutions, businesses are now looking to introduce different purchasing models that demonstrate a lower total cost of ownership, accelerate digital and workplace transformation, and offer greater flexibility in IT procurement. The increasing popularity of subscription- based models, technology lifecycle management and transition to the cloud is testament to this trend.” www.3stepit.com Ignore the IT skills gap at your peril Over two thirds (66%) of UK employees have had no training or professional development since January 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic forcing many companies to change how they do business and growing awareness of the UK digital skills gap. According to the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants’ annual Mind the Skills Gap report, 65% of SMEs in the UK report that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted skills gaps within their organisation. Among this group, nearly 95% believe that these are significant enough to hamper their organisation’s future growth and success. The most common gaps are in digital skills (42%), such as e-commerce, coding, data analytics, cybersecurity and cloud computing; health and safety (37%); and people management and leadership skills (33%). CIMA warns the situation could be made worse with the end of the Brexit transition period when employers lose access to the EU-wide talent pool. The State of Business IT 2020 Exploring the IT trends and challenges for businesses in 2020 and beyond Mind the Skills Gap Survey Key findings – 2 December 2020 Carmen Ene