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CIO: Which IT Investments to Prioritize in 2022
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The Covid crisis completely reshuffled the deck for CIOs (IT departments). Faced with the surge in demand for remote work, les équipes informatiques ont dû faire évoluer leur rôle et leurs priorités en un temps record, avec parfois des moyens limités. Grâce à leur agilité et à leur résilience, de nombreuses entreprises ont réussi à remonter la pente. Si bien qu’en 2022, more than half of them plan to increase their IT budget.¹
Which investments should IT departments prioritize in 2022? And what actions are needed to sustain hybrid work, while ensuring the security of the organization’s data? Here is an overview of the three key priorities for IT departments in 2022.
end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code Digital Transformation
According to a Constellation Research study, 77% of CIOs listed digital transformation as their number-one priority in 2021. This trend is set to continue in 2022 for all companies that want to remain competitive.
Read also: The Impact of Covid on Company Digitalization: Summary of the McKinsey Study (2020)
Here are two investment priorities for IT departments to accelerate your digital transformation.
Automation and Artificial Intelligence
According to a WalkMe study, three quarters of CIOs at the 500 largest US companies believe that investing in automation and artificial intelligence (AI) is the best option for improving their return on investment.
Process automation means time savings, error reduction, and increased team productivity. Some companies use RPA (Robotic Process Automation) to automate time-consuming tasks with AI. This includes handling customer requests, sending emails, reporting, and answering HR questions frequently asked by employees (via a chatbot).
Beyond automation, AI can also be used to facilitate decision-making, fluidifier la gestion des données, moderniser l’expérience client et détecter de nouvelles menaces de sécurité. Les possibilités sont infinies : à vous d’investir dans les solutions qui répondent aux besoins de votre organisation.
Read also: The 12 Technology Trends for 2022, According to Gartner
The Cloud
According to Gartner, 48% of CIOs plan to invest in cloud platforms in 2022. Et pour cause : migrer vers le cloud présente de nombreux avantages pour les entreprises, parmi lesquels :
- more secure data storage,
- une plus grande flexibilité des infrastructures,
- reduced IT costs,
- simplified access to your company’s data,
- better integration with your existing applications.
Three cloud services are available to IT departments ready to make the leap: IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), and SaaS (Software as a Service). Whether you want to deploy a web hosting solution, an online storage tool, or a collaborative software solution, there’s a cloud platform for you!
Read also: CIO: How to Successfully Deploy Collaborative Tools
To optimize your ROI, make sure to rationalize your application portfolio before investing in these tools. Once redundant and/or unnecessary applications are removed, you can easily identify what you actually need.
Cybersecurity
In the era of hybrid work, IT departments must also prioritize cybersecurity investments. The goal: secure the data of their organization, and ensure it doesn’t fall into the hands of cybercriminals. This trend is confirmed by a Gartner study. According to the firm, 66% of CIOs plan to increase their cybersecurity investments and IT security in 2022.
There are several ways to invest in cybersecurity. For example, why not train your employees on the cyber risks they may face when working remotely? You can use this opportunity to show them the security best practices to follow to minimize these risks.
Read also: Cybersecurity: 4 Ideas to Raise Awareness Among Your Employees
You can also invest in dedicated tools to manage cybersecurity challenges, for example:
- a VPN (Virtual Private Network), to encrypt your network traffic and allow employees to connect remotely with complete security
- a antivirus and a firewall, pour surveiller le trafic entrant et sortant de votre réseau, et détecter les malwares qui pourraient l’attaquer
- a Identity and Access Management (IAM) tool that authenticates all users and manages their network access rights
Finally, don’t forget to invest the time and resources needed to develop a crisis management process that clearly explains what to do and who to involve in the event of a cyberattack.
The Employee Experience
Beyond cybersecurity and digital transformation, IT departments must also invest in the employee experience in order to retain and engage their best talent.
As you may know, the Covid pandemic pushed many employees to reassess their expectations of their work et de leur entreprise.
En résulte la “Great Resignation”, un phénomène tout droit venu des États-Unis qui a entraîné la 4.5 million workers quitting their jobs in November 2021, and which could soon reach France. According to a Dares study, the number of permanent contract resignations recorded in July 2021 was près de 20 % supérieur à celui observé en 2019. On est encore loin d’une “grande démission” américaine, mais better safe than sorry!
To avoid this phenomenon, IT departments must therefore think – in collaboration with HR – about ways to improve the employee experience. On the tools side, you can for example invest in a collaborative platform (like Talkspirit!) to streamline your teams’ work, or in automation software that will reduce time spent on repetitive tasks.
Also make sure your offices are adapted to your teams’ new ways of working . For example, if you favor hybrid work, ensure that your meeting rooms are well equipped for video conferencing, and that employees have enough collaborative spaces to work together.
Read also: [Expert Insight] Office Design Trends in 2021
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Whether accelerating digital transformation, ensuring data security, or improving the employee experience, 2022 promises to be a year rich in digital projects for IT departments. To support your company’s growth, CIOs must now prioritize the right IT investments and allocate their time and resources to projects that meet their teams’ needs.
Want to learn more about CIO priorities and challenges for 2022? Read our white paper to benefit from the advice and testimonials of 10 CIOs:
Download the White Paper
Dans notre Livre Blanc “Hybrid Work: New Challenges for the IT Department”, you'll discover: the 3 major challenges for IT departments in the hybrid work era; practical advice on accelerating your digital transformation, securing workstations, and improving the employee experience; as well as testimonials from 10 CIOs working in companies, public organizations, and associations.
¹ “The 2022 State of IT”, SWZD
² McKinsey study (October 2020)
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Author: Emmanuelle Abensur
