Respondents to a recent survey from Microsoft specialist Crimson have reported project pauses occurring based on priority, level of risk and the ability to facilitate upgrades remotely. The signs point to a major priority realignment taking place within the enterprise, with plans to accelerate Cloud, Automation and Cyber Security for more secure and effective remote working.
However, while new projects may have paused since Coronavirus first brought the UK to a standstill, Crimson’s research shows that the IT sector has still shown remarkable resilience, with seventy per cent of IT departments not taking advantage of the Government’s furlough scheme, instead moving operations remotely in order to continue critical business operations. Of those IT professionals working remotely, up to half agreed that remote working had increased productivity, with more than three quarters stating that the current team is likely to continue to work from home once the country finds itself a ‘new normal.’
The survey of more than 150 technology professionals across sectors as diverse as professional services, property, warehousing, retail and financial services, shows reasons to be optimistic for the technology sector’s Coronavirus recovery. Just over a quarter of survey respondents stated that they are looking to hire or on board new IT staff in the next three months, suggesting that organisations are building remote on boarding strategies and will therefore require additional bandwidth or skills to make this happen. Furthermore, despite short-term delays, projected IT budgets have largely remained stable with 41% of respondents intending to keep their budgets the same as pre-Coronavirus levels and 27% increasing overall budgets. Thirty-two per cent have reduced budgets due to the pandemic.
Louise Clarke, head of recruitment services at Crimson, said of the statistics: “Our survey really demonstrates how resilient the IT industry is in times of global uncertainty. Despite hundreds of thousands of businesses being forced to close or furlough staff, IT departments remained busy and essential to facilitating remote working and the creation of new business models.
“It is also positive to see that the sector faces a swift recovery from the pandemic, with the majority of IT budgets remaining the same as pre-pandemic levels. With more businesses looking to continue remote working practices moving forward, the integral role of technology and IT professionals is only going to become more important.”
