Equinix, Inc released its annual technology survey, and the findings indicate that businesses worldwide are planning significant investments into digital technologies to support expansion plans based on pandemic-learned lessons.
Despite concerns of a potential recession and talk at the World Economic Forum in Davos about the end of globalization, decision-makers around the world remain bullish about expansion plans.
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Of the nearly 3,000 IT professionals surveyed, 72% of respondents indicated their organization has plans to expand within the next 12 months. They also identified potentially limiting factors when it came to global growth. 59% of respondents identified supply chain issues and shortages as their primary concern, while 58% indicated the microchip shortage as a specific threat to their businesses.
In addition, the survey revealed:
- Customer and employee experience prioritized: Recognizing digital adoption affects end users, 83% of IT leaders said enhancing customer experience was a priority. Companies also acknowledged that improving the employee experience is critical to their transformation journey and talent retention, with 81% citing this.
- Cloud migration continues: 71% of global IT leaders said they plan to move more business functions to the cloud. Of those respondents, half plan to move more of their business-critical applications to the cloud, and almost half (49%) intend to move security functions to the cloud.
- Hybrid cloud dominates: Hybrid cloud models were the preferred approach for 38% of respondents, but almost a quarter (22%) of global digital leaders still rely on a single cloud provider or none. Interconnection may step in to help here, with 35% of respondents believing it increases the flexibility of connectivity and 30% reporting they use it to enable hybrid multicloud.
- Investing in innovation: Many IT leaders are looking to futureproof their businesses and take full advantage of evolving technologies, such as 5G, the internet of things (IoT), and Web3. 71% of respondents said they are moving to an everything as a service (XaaS) model, citing the simplification of IT infrastructure (65%), flexibility (56%), and improved user experience (54%) as the key reasons for doing so.
- Focusing on sustainability: While innovating, digital leaders keep a close eye on the sustainability of their IT infrastructure. 67% say they are measuring and actively trying to limit the environmental impact of their IT equipment, and 65% will only work with IT partners who can meet key carbon reduction targets. Indeed, 69% report sustainability is now one of their organization’s most essential drivers, with commitments made to science-based targets.
To read more about the Global Tech Trends Survey or download a copy, please visit: Equinix 2022 Global Tech Trends Survey