CompTIA Releases Report On 2021 IT Trends, Outlook

CompTIA’s IT Industry Outlook 2021 finds that the technology industry has become an even more important part of our digital society thanks to the chaos that was 2020.

The annual report, released Monday, finds that the IT industry is morphing to rebuild a new ecosystem that takes lessons learned from 2020. The report also predicts what the IT industry will focus on in 2021.

Things like cloud computing, cybersecurity standards and setting diversity goals will dominate the tech landscape next year, the organization found.

“The confusion, disruption and uncertainty we’ve experienced in 2020 will have some spillover effect in 2021, but rather than rebuilding to restore what it was, we believe that the industry is poised to rebuild for a better and brighter future,” said Carolyn April, senior director of industry analysis at CompTIA, in a statement.

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The organization’s report found that transformative changes accelerated this year thanks to a rapid shift to remote work, emphasizing the importance of the IT industry.

According to CompTIA, here are the top 10 trends to watch for in 2021:

1. There Is No Normal – The concept of an established pattern will be more elusive for businesses, forcing them to juggle a multitude of options, from employee locations to supply chain components to customer demands.
2. Cloud Is King – Organizations will adopt a cloud-first mentality when it comes to building or upgrading IT infrastructure.
3. Channel Firms Respond to Customer Changes – The need for flexibility by channel firms has never been greater as customers work their way through uncertain times.
4. Channel Dynamics Become More Balanced – Vendor/partner relationships become a marriage of equals, with cloud computing as the primary matchmaker.
5. Emerging Technologies Find Their Place Inside Business Solutions – Organizations direct their energy into building solutions on top of the platform’s they’ve built on cloud and mobile options.
6. Zero Trust Shapes Cybersecurity Initiatives – Verify everything becomes the new paradigm that guides cybersecurity practices.
7. Managed Service Providers Build Deeper Cybersecurity Expertise – More MSPs redefine their businesses almost exclusively around security, adding advanced services.
8. Tech Industry Prepares for Regulation – The impact is likely to be felt by everyone, from the largest industry titans to the smallest channel firms.
9. Business Conversations Drive Business Skills for Tech Pros – No longer relegated to the help desk, IT pros’ need for professional skills is accentuated – and often required.
10. Companies Set Public Goals for Diversity – It’s time for companies to move beyond  awareness to accountability with deliverables that are public and certifiable.