In an endless list of challenges, COVID-19 has presented several industries with the need to reform and adapt to fit current demands. Mandated social distancing and stay-at-home orders have led to an increased reliance on technology in both personal and professional matters. From changing the way people work, to how they operate their business, the IT + Services industry has played a crucial role in helping people transition during the pandemic. 

We spoke with a number of marketing leaders in the IT + Services industry to get their perspective on how the industry is changing and what trends people can expect in the next year given the current business environment.

8 Changes in the IT + Services Industry

#1 - IT services are influential in restructuring companies

As plans shift and workforces are becoming more hybrid/remote, companies are re-prioritizing their efforts. 

Cameron van Orman, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of the computer software company Planview, Inc., shares, “IT is moving from providing basic business continuity and workforce productivity services (e.g, remote email access and web conferencing) to helping organizations dynamically re-plan and re-prioritize their strategic objectives. IT is suddenly in a position to accelerate work delivery against the new strategy, deliver modern digital workspace to ensure alignment and speed up delivery, and drive workforce engagement.”

#2 - Shift to Work from Home Solutions 

By now, companies have adapted their processes to either a remote or hybrid working schedule. Since this shift is a complete 180 for most companies that normally operate in-person, there are still kinks to work out and adjust to ensure communication, employee engagement, and security are a top priority. 

Groupware Technology specializes in delivering solutions to customers who work from home. Samara Halterman, the Vice President of Marketing at Groupware Technology, shared, “COVID-19 has shifted technology innovators and solution providers to deliver technologies and services that support remote work as well as provide services that support customers in their data centers. The need and demand from our customers and many of the organizations we support is for technology solutions that meet remote employees' criteria for secure and productive ways to get work done. Unified communications and collaboration, file-sharing, security and project management tools, along with secure data access technologies are all solutions that Groupware Technology can deliver to companies who have employees working remotely and ensure business continuity and non-disruption.” 

#3 - Efforts are being brought to light or accelerated

When Setup had our first #MarketingMixer in May, we spoke with executives from Piedmont, Citrix, and Kellogg’s who all stated that initiatives that were years in the making, such as Telehealth or certain digital campaigns, were accelerated due to current need. 

Danielle Sauvé, the Vice President of Marketing at Esko, also shared this sentiment regarding her work in the printing industry and how the pandemic has impacted the behavior of their partners. 

“Esko software connects our customers’ devices, departments and locations, enabling them to collaborate across the world. Our technology already enables brands and their supply chains to automate processes and workflows from end to end in the packaging production process, wherever it resides. The pandemic has just accelerated the recognition of the printing and converting industry that the time is now to invest in future-proofing to provide the benefits and stability they need, should this situation ever happen again. The last few months, we have worked closely in partnership with our customers to ensure the supply chain stayed on track and presses kept running.” 

Marketers like Halterman have noticed a higher need to provide data center support to their customers. “We are seeing a huge swing in data center workloads for some industries and projects are being prioritized with some being delayed/deprioritized. At Groupware, we can help ease the increased workload by deploying subject matter expert engineers to work onsite in customer data centers. Groupware has labs and data center-lite facilities to perform work outside of customer data centers allowing us to accelerate time-to-value solutions.” 

#4 - Awareness of safety

Industries have had to adapt to delivering at the same capacity without compromising the health or safety of employees. Technology has made this easier in some cases. 

Esko dealt with managing production while maintaining health safety directly. Sauvé shared, “[Customers] worldwide were relying on our workflow automation servers to produce higher volumes, without the need for additional headcount, maximizing safety. Doing more with less is the value proposition of Esko solutions. This is more vital than ever right now, with businesses still suffering from staff absenteeism due to illness or self-isolation, combined with an unexpected and unprecedented surge in demand.”

#5 - Customer Buyer Journey Impact

Planview, Inc.’s van Orman shared that there has been an increased interest in top-of-funnel digital content since the pandemic began. An increase in form submissions, leads, and marketing qualified leads (MQLs) shows “a strong engagement in the research/education phase of the buyer's journey.” 

Van Orman also noted, however, that there is hesitancy to engage with Sales Representatives during the selection/decision phase due to uncertainties regarding internal budgets and timeframes. “Those prospects that are engaging with Sales have higher confidence in their ability to purchase and are able to link their need for our software to their current business priorities,” he stated. 

#6 - Supply Fluctuations 

Particular businesses are seeing a spike in demand and are struggling to meet it with the right supply, while other businesses are experiencing no business whatsoever. Sauvé shares her observations of various industries from a print and packaging perspective. 

“As developers of software and hardware technology for the global print and packaging industry, we immediately saw an impact on business around the world. For general commercial, sign and display applications, we saw an immediate drop-off in volumes as cities and businesses closed. However, when shelves began emptying quicker than workers could refill them in the grocery retailing sector, the immediate need was to ensure the global packaging supply chain remained operational. It was no surprise that shortly after the scale of the crisis became clear, governments around the world not only considered transportation logistics, harbors and airports as strategic and essential, but also packaging production. Throughout the last few months, we have heard from many packaging customers that while other industries continue to be hugely affected by COVID-19, they themselves are extremely busy, in some cases dealing with as much as 25% more production compared to the same period last year.” 

#7 - Increase in Digitization

In a post-pandemic world, digital may be the future of operation. Sauvé elaborates, “With remote working now being mandatory, we witnessed a seismic shift in the thinking of our customers in the way they can operate their businesses going forward in the ‘new normal’; digitization was no longer seen as a longer term strategy but a key requirement in maintaining business through this challenging period. Digitizing, automating and connecting printing and packaging production processes – from design to shelf - can help suppliers overcome short-term peak demand challenges, as witnessed at the height of the pandemic. Importantly, it's also the key to delivering long-term business success in an increasingly global and competitive marketplace.”

#8 - Developing Products/Services to Match Need

Companies are adapting and providing alternative solutions to stay relevant or meet the needs of their consumers. 

Halterman mentions how several industries have dealt with the transition: “IT solutions and services providers have adapted quickly in identifying and delivering topical solutions that rise to the challenges faced across all industries and sectors in these unprecedented times. Education could now transform for the long-term where educators and students are teaching and learning online, the solutions we deliver for work-from-home employees like unified communications, collaboration tools and security, are relevant and needed solutions for the education industry and now education-from-home sector as well. We are thrilled to be a part of the technology innovators and solution providers who are working alongside the medical and life sciences sectors in discovering and launching tools and technologies that can aid researchers in alleviating the effects of, or ultimately creating a vaccine for COVID-19. Great strides have been made with AI technologies in this area. In the genomics field for instance, in collaboration with our partners such as HPE and NVIDIA, Groupware Technology has been marketing an AI solution that can vastly accelerate research outcomes for genomics researchers. We have also set aside our DGX-1(AI supercomputer) GPU farm consisting of multiple NVIDIA GPUs and are offering the complimentary use of it as a resource to our customers who specialize in drug discovery for COVID-19.”

Prior to the pandemic, Esko developed a few services/products to assist the consumer that are more relevant now. “Before the majority of key trade events and expos had been cancelled due to the pandemic, we had developed the Esko Innovation Hub to provide users the ability to explore our portfolio of new and upgraded products in an always on, virtual environment where insights and technical information delivered in a fresh and exciting way.” 

Esko also launched a Digital Maturity Model (DMM) prior to the pandemic “to enable companies to make proactive strategic steps on their digital transformation journey, rather than the reactive disconnected thinking we often see. The DMM clearly explains the value of digital transformation and outlines the key steps companies need to take to improve their operational processes, lower costs and deliver client loyalty.” This model and attitude is crucial to maintaining customers during a difficult time. 

Top IT + Services Industry Trends for 2021

Given that tech is becoming increasingly important and vital to operations and workforces alike, we asked the contributors to list the top trends they have seen emerging over the last few months that will become exponentially important within the next year. The several listed were recounted throughout the conversation:

• Digitization (especially in the workforce)

• Accelerated growth of augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR)

• Emphasis on the customer experience

• Cloud-based solutions and focus that provide flexibility, reliability, and lower costs

• Technology focused on increasing employee engagement and innovation

• Sustainability (minimizing waste, improving energy efficiency, and reduce environmental impact)

• Remote technology that supports unified communications, collaboration, and security

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) adaptation

Based on the behavior of businesses currently, it is evident that in the upcoming year, businesses are going to push towards a more digital-central approach internally with remote/hybrid structures and externally with their customers. The IT industry is growing and will continue to influence other industries as they adapt to the current and future challenges.