With 2022 underway, analyst research firm, Analysys Mason has assessed the top SMB technology predictions and trends to watch this year. From business continuity and disaster recovery, hybrid working, AI, automation and everything in between, here are the top 6 predictions based on their research.
- Business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) will be a top priority for SMBs in order to mitigate data security risks
Back-up, recovery and business continuity will continue to be priorities for SMBs in 2022 due to the increasing sophistication and frequency of ransomware attacks. The hybrid working environment has increased SMBs’ vulnerability, so these businesses will be acutely concerned with ensuring that they can access their information in the event of a disaster. SMB spending on back-up- and recovery-related solutions worldwide will grow by 13% year-on-year from USD9.9 billion in 2021 to USD11.3 billion in 2022.
- Hybrid working will continue to drive SMB IT purchasing decisions in 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic started the shift towards hybrid working for both large enterprises and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). SMBs will increasingly invest in key IT solutions such as cloud infrastructure, managed IT services, collaboration solutions, mobile connectivity and cyber security as they continue to transition their workforce. These categories alone are expected to account for over USD300 billion of SMB spending worldwide in 2022.
- AI-powered automation will boost SMB spending on business applications
AI-enabled tools will start to gain popularity among SMBs, and these solutions will be a key driver of SaaS spending growth. QuickBooks Online and Hubspot have already been attracting SMBs with their AI-powered applications, and AWS’s pay-per-use AI tools have also been gaining attention. The increasing availability of affordable AI-powered smart solutions will accelerate the automation of business operations among SMBs, especially in the areas of cyber security, CRM, customer service, marketing, HR, collaboration and accounting/finance. SMBs’ spending on SaaS solutions in these areas is expected to grow by 15% year-on-year to USD99 billion in 2022.
- SMBs will expect advice and guidance to be included in every product/service purchase
SMBs are now forced to adopt complex cloud-based solutions to replace their traditional on-premises counterparts. As a result of this migration, SMBs are faced with the challenge of needing expertise to maintain and run these cloud environments. SMBs typically lack this expertise in-house, so they are likely to turn to the service provider/vendor for guidance and product maintenance. This will be reflected in an increase in managed services adoption. Indeed, SMB spending on managed services worldwide will grow by 12% year-on-year in 2022 to USD120 billion.
- Spending on home office network management will become an increasingly important part of SMBs’ IT infrastructure investments
SMBs are rethinking their IT infrastructure and are likely to migrate towards a hybrid working environment, with employees working both on- and off-site. As a result, SMBs will depend on ad-hoc network management solutions instead of the site-specific solutions previously deployed to maintain this new IT environment. Multi-site network management, troubleshooting and IT support while working from home will take priority, leading to a higher demand for managed networking solutions.
- SMBs will demand more managed security solutions from MSPs
SMBs are facing an increasing number of vulnerabilities due to dispersed employees and general uncertainty, so cyber security will be a key priority for many in 2022. Most SMBs are ill-equipped to implement and maintain the proper security solutions. The increased demand for secure IT, along with the need for support, will drive rapid spending growth on managed security in particular. Indeed, SMB spending on managed security solutions through managed service providers (MSPs) worldwide is expected to grow by 18% year-on-year from USD9.9 billion in 2021 to USD11.7 billion in 2022.
To listen to Analysys Mason’s podcast on this topic, and further predictions, go here.
