Helping you thrive through change

The demand for agility is unprecedented. And while the pandemic has forced change onto many organizations, they will continue to transform regardless. Resilience matters – despite the challenges that unfold.

How organizations approach their quest for greater agility and resilience is one of the defining characteristics of our 2021 Global Managed Services Research Report. The insights from 1,350 global business and IT leaders uncovered a new breed of organization – the bold and brave – that is open to new possibilities and strategies in order to succeed in challenging times. Making up around a third of our sample (33.8%), these organizations pivot their technology focus to take advantage of market opportunities and the chance to scale.

The good news is the vast majority of organizations (87.3%) agree the pandemic has accelerated their digital transformation strategy, with improved agility as one of the leading outcomes. Yet there are differences regarding how IT and the business prioritize it. Speed and agility as a core component of technology strategy is most strongly supported by operational teams (69.6% say it’s very important), while just 53.4% of IT teams feel the same.

The drive for greater alignment introduces further challenges for CIOs. They need to advance and remain at the forefront of developing services and delivering business outcomes; hence why the recognition of bold and brave organizations is so important. They’re utilizing emerging technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) delivered through hybrid IT environments to further access a wider range of markets and extend their reach to new customers.

In short, they plan for the future while also meeting their immediate needs. Despite operating in an economic climate where cost optimization is a primary focus for many, they’re bold enough to direct budget towards innovation and future sustainability. And this is important. Even though 91.7% say emerging technologies (IoT, AI and ML) are important to their organization’s technology strategy both now and in the future, just two in five business leaders strongly believe they have optimized solutions available to meet the organization’s immediate objectives.

Our research also highlights the pivotal role services providers play in further enabling organizations that are prepared to be bold and brave. The more organizations partner with a service provider to consult upon, strategize, manage, and innovate all aspects of their transformation journey, the more likely (41.7%) they will be able to pivot their focus to take advantage of new market opportunities. Additionally, organizations partnering with service providers for over half of their IT support are almost 50% more likely to have optimized their digital transformation.

These are just some of the highlights from our 2021 Global Managed Services Report. And while for many organizations cost optimization and maintaining a steady ship is the immediate focus right now, innovation can’t be forgotten. This is equally important in the quest for resilience and agility, enabling you to thrive through change.

Read the full report here, or take our assessment to understand how you can address some of your organization’s challenges in the quest to be bold and brave.