3 Technologies Businesses Are Investing in for 2022

When it comes to the technologies that drive your business forward, the last two years have been a catalyst for digital transformation. The rapid adoption of cloud and remote services show no sign of slowing down, as companies grow increasingly adept at making these solutions work for them. But now that the dust has largely settled from the mass move to remote work, what's on the horizon for these businesses? How can they maintain the level of flexibility and innovation that the technical jump has afforded, while protecting their employees from an increasingly competitive market and hostile cyber landscape? We took a deep dive into the latest industry trends, and found some interesting things. 

Here Are 3 Technologies Driving Innovation in 2022:

A Golden Age for Software-as-a-Service 

Datto, an industry leader in recovery services and iCorps partner, recently released their "State of the MSP" report detailing how businesses have adapted their technical investments to meet new industry and performance standards. In the macro sense, the IT industry has been driven by a solid foundation of recurring more so than project-based services. Much of this can be attributed to the rise in cloud adoption over the past two years. Datto found that half of MSP clients have at least 50% of their workloads in the cloud, accelerated further by the pandemic. Email, application, and database servers are now predominantly cloud-based. The most popular client services are cloud-based infrastructure design and management, office productivity software such as Microsoft 365, and SaaS business continuity and disaster recovery solutions. In 2022, there will be a greater emphasis on many of these core offerings, with businesses reporting growing interest in: 

• Collaboration software
• Application integration / middleware (software that bridges OS or databases and applications)
• Storage design and implementation for cloud assets and infrastructure
  
  

Managed Security Offerings

As businesses shifted to remote work, they grew increasingly reliant on SaaS products and other applications of cloud infrastructure. This dependence is not without its consequences, as the often rapid deployment of remote tools opened networks up to attack, prompting a major increase in ransomware and data breaches. Which security offerings are moving the needle for businesses? Here are the most common security services MSPs are providing clients: 

• 84% of companies - advanced endpoint security (i.e. endpoint detection and response)
• 82% - email security solutions
• 79% - data loss protection
• 78% - security framework and compliance auditing
• 75% - identity access management (IAM) and single-sign-on (SSO)
• 73% - anti-malware
• 72% - password policy management
  
  

The variation in these services reveals just how complex modern cyber threats are, and just how large a company's attack surface may be. Ensuring your security tools are providing ample coverage, while eliminating redundancy and unnecessary spend requires expert help.

Compliance-as-a-Service

To counter the proliferation of cyber scams in recent years, more companies are prioritizing compliance and IT governance strategies. These also necessitate a high level of expertise, as they are not one-off security solutions, but a rich network of tools and consulting that work in tandem to harden a business' security posture. While many industries have specific regulatory frameworks, more universal frameworks have been gaining traction, including the Center for Internet Security (CIS) Controls, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), and MITRE ATT&CK. As these frameworks mature, more businesses are looking to expand their cyber resilience capabilities. If your business is in this position, and looking for compliance expertise, reach out to iCorps for a free security consultation today.