Enterprises are rapidly adapting their IT priorities in response to the global pandemic, according to a new study commissioned by Telstra and conducted by GlobalData.
The research, Business Continuity, Flexible Working and Adaptive Infrastructure: Five Actions for When the Economy Reopens Following COVID-19, gathered data from 120+ business leaders across Asia Pacific, Europe and the United States to provide insights on how to recalibrate IT strategies. The research was conducted together with GlobalData to survey C-suites and IT decision-makers to understand organizations’ responses to the pandemic.
Some highlights:
- 93% of businesses state they have changed their IT priorities either incrementally, significantly, or dramatically. Businesses are updating their overall IT strategy, with the top priority for respondents across all regions to set up policies for their remote workforce. This includes areas such as ensuring employees can connect securely and access their applications and data.
- Nearly one in ten enterprises did not have a business continuity plan (BCP) pre-COVID-19. Of those organizations that did have a BCP in place, almost a third (29%) did not have plans in place to respond to an unexpected global event such as a pandemic. In the United States, only 14% – the lowest among the regions – claimed to have a full BCP, which included major events and pandemics, in place.
- Video conferencing and cloud-based contact center solutions are some of the most transformative technologies to the enterprise. Video is the new voice in collaboration. 98% of respondents believe there will be an increased reliance on video conferencing to replace face-to-face meetings post-COVID-19 recovery.
Dustin Kehoe, Services Director from GlobalData shared, “It was interesting to see the overwhelmingly positive response for video conferencing. While the technology has always been available, we are seeing a generational shift in perception from pre-and post-COVID-19 eras.”
