With 2017 already upon us, this is a good time to look ahead and see what is in store for the new year. The top trends for 2017 include budget and revenue stagnation, cloud services gaining an even higher profile and a general lack of hiring of IT positions.
Budgets to Remain Flat
One of these years, we’ll be telling you the good news that IT budgets are expected to grow significantly – but that’s not the case this year. According to the SpiceWorks 2017 State of IT Report, budgets and annual company revenues are expected to remain relatively flat.
Furthermore, survey respondents in the UK expect a 5% decrease in budgets from 2016 after experiencing an average revenue drop of 10% in 2016. If there is good news among the gloom, most UK companies anticipate a better year for revenue in 2017.
Cloud Services Boost
Security may be top of mind right now, but CIOs believe cloud-based services and mobility will grow the most in importance this year. This aligns with survey results from other analyst groups which consistently place cloud projects as of high strategic importance for the bulk of enterprises.
While this may seem like it would lessen the burden for IT, the reality is that IT departments are typically expected to continue all ongoing internal projects, maintain the current infrastructure AND manage strategic initiatives to add cloud services.
Staffing Curtailed
When the money dries up, staffing always takes a hit and that will be the case in 2017, according to SpiceWorks. Nearly two-thirds of companies predict staffing levels to remain roughly the same in 2017. That will probably turn out to be the case for those with a fairly stable workforce with low turnover. But what about those with more of a revolving door for IT staff? The hiring situation for 2017 doesn’t appear bright. Most companies will be reluctant to take on new personnel. When anyone leaves, therefore, management will be tempted to leave the position vacant.
Busy Days Ahead
What does this add up to? Not only will IT have to deal with budgets being the same or slightly down, but they can also expect more projects to be heaped onto their plate. And if anyone leaves, the chances of drafting in a replacement are slim. Not a recipe for a Happy IT New Year.
The smart thing to do, therefore, is to bring in the right help. Ballard Chalmers offers a proven team of expert custom software developers who can take over strategic cloud and application modernisation projects and get them done rapidly and on budget. For more information, contact us.
By Drew Robb, Contributor
Drew Robb is a freelance editor and writer, specialising in the Information Technology sector.
