Ashley The most successful small businesses in today’s fast-paced markets are those that are able to balance smart business decisions with experimentation and innovation. For many organisations, this usually means experimenting with new IT solutions and strategies. It is widely accepted now that IT is essential to business, and success in business.
We discussed this principle with a London-based IT company, TechQuarters. As providers of business IT support London organisations have used extensively for more than a decade, TechQuarters have seen a number of important IT trends emerge and grow. In fact, in 2010, the business was started up in order to get involved with an emerging trend that has since grown into one of the biggest global IT investments of the last 20 years: Cloud Computing.
Why Are IT Trends Important?
There are always various different IT trends that are relevant each year; but why exactly is it important to follow and invest in IT trends? Trends in business are usually new, alternative, and often innovative approaches to business processes and methodologies.
Any given IT trend may prove to be ground-breaking, and businesses that invested in it early on will reap the most benefits. According to TechQuarters, though, this doesn’t mean businesses should invest in every single new trend that emerges, but it is definitely worth keeping an eye on the comings and goings of business IT developments.
Top 6 IT Support Trends for Small Business
So, what are some of the recent, or emerging IT trends that have been making the rounds recently? As we mentioned, knowing about both emerging and persistent trends in IT can enable a business to get in on a safe technology that can add considerable value. Below are six examples of IT trends for small businesses:
1. Mobile Business
Mobile technology has been one of the biggest successes of the 21st century. Nowadays, more than half of everyone in the world either owns or uses a mobile phone.
There are mobile banking and finance apps for mobile; a range of communications apps (including email, instant messaging, and even video conferencing); social media platforms, most of which are mobile-native now, have proven to be a hugely successful business marketing tool. It is plain to see that mobile business is not only possible but highly valuable for the modern, agile business.
2. Automation
There are many, many different small, repetitive, or otherwise low-value tasks in business that need to be completed, thus taking time away from individuals who may want to focus on other more exciting or important tasks. Automation enables businesses to ensure those lower-value tasks are completed quickly and consistently, thus enabling businesses to potentially double their productivity.
3. Big Data
The amount of data being produced both online and offline is growing exponentially, producing vast datasets that contain a lot of valuable information but are hard to analyse manually. This is why Big Data Analytics has emerged as a hugely popular new trend. Data scientists can help organisations process and interpret big data, and extract a range of important insights that can inform their decision making, and even unlock new opportunities for them.
4. Cloud Computing
As we mentioned earlier, cloud computing has in fact been a major trend for at least a decade already; but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t still a trend and one that is worth paying attention. The great thing about cloud computing is that it is accessible to businesses of all shapes and sizes, and can unlock a range of opportunities.
5. Remote & Hybrid Work
The past few years have been rather turbulent for businesses and individuals alike; but one of the positive things to emerge has been the realisation that remote working can be just as efficient – and in some cases, more efficient – than working in an office. Hybrid working is the evolution of this, as it means that employees can choose whichever mode of working they prefer – in-office or remote. This trend can be seen in a lot of tech companies – for example, Microsoft – who are developing solutions specifically for hybrid working.
6. Remote IT Support
The digitisation of business and the increasing instances of businesses working remotely has meant that the need for IT support to be remote has increased. When we spoke to TechQuarters, who have been providing IT support Croydon businesses have used for years, they stated that outsourcing one’s IT support to a remote partner can have many benefits for an organisation, which is why it is such a big trend.
