Four Pillars to Help You Build Your Tech Business in 2021
According to Nancy Hammervik (executive vice president of industry relations at CompTIA) and CEO of CompTIA Tech Career Academy who launched the virtual 2021 CompTIA Communities and Councils Forum, cybersecurity, emerging technology, solution-selling, and workforce dynamics are key trends tech companies should embrace. According to Nancy Hammervik (executive vice president of industry relations at CompTIA and CEO of CompTIA Tech Career Academy), the key trends tech firms should embrace are cybersecurity, emerging technology and solution selling. She also spoke out about workforce dynamics, which was the catalyst for the virtual 2021 CompTIA Communities and Councils Forum. “We have seen a huge change in the way we live and work. While we still wear masks and social distancing while we wait, one fifth of Americans have received at least one dose. The light at the end is growing brighter. It is time to prepare for the post-pandemic world. We still face challenges, but much of that is giving way to new opportunities at new levels,” said Hammervik.Cybersecurity: A Critical Foundation for Business
Cyberattacks are on the rise and have risen significantly since March 2020, when many companies switched to work-from home models. Hammervik shared many statistics:
This year, cybercrime damage worldwide will exceed $6 trillion.
A Deloitte report about cybercrime found that 47% of people working from home were victims to phishing attacks.
More than half a million people were affected in the first three months by breaches involving the theft and sale of personal data from video conferencing users.
Over the past decade, it has been a common refrain that “every company IS a technology company”. But understanding and using technology is not enough. It is crucial to secure technology if you want your company to be protected from cyberattacks. For managed service providers (MSPs), providing security services is not only a business opportunity, it’s a business imperative, and according to CompTIA research, just 38% of MSPs are offering cybersecurity-related services. Hammervik stated that every MSP has the opportunity and responsibility to make cybersecurity a part of their business. This includes offering cybersecurity education and awareness to customers, risk assessments, ensuring business continuity planning are in place, regular reviews, and even cyber-crisis simulation exercises.
Innovative Solutions: Leveraging emerging tech
After the pandemic, there will be more opportunities to invest in solutions that use emerging technology. KPMG reports that 88% of small-business executives and 80% for large enterprise leaders believe emerging technologies helped them get through the pandemic. “The pandemic had a profound impact on the world’s appreciation of technology and how it was perceived. Tech saved the day in many ways. Technology allowed us to shift to a work-from home and learn-from home world. Many businesses were able to remain afloat when they switched to online ordering and delivery models thanks to technology. Many realized the incremental opportunities of data collection and analysis of customer buying patterns and preferences with this pivot,” Hammervik said. Beyond businesses realizing the potential of emerging technology, the response to the COVID-19 pandemic showed emerging tech in action. From using edge computing and AI to shift through endless amounts data about the virus to robots capable of taking temperatures and delivering tools to hospitals to blockchains that can track outbreaks while keeping patient information private, Hammervik said. Hammervik stated that the world has gained a greater appreciation for and trust in technology. The many examples of emerging technologies being used to address a global crisis can be used as inspiration to create business solutions.
A shift from selling services to selling solutions
Hammervik said that it is time to standardize the terms “solution provider” and “service provider”. Services tend to be associated with reactive, pre-made, transactional offerings, whereas solutions are proactive, customer-centric, personalized offerings and responses. According to CompTIA research this shift is already in motion. Sixty percent (60%) of MSPs plan to increase their service mix. 42% said that a pivot to new markets/biz models helped them through the pandemic. It is important to upskill and retrain technical and sales staff. Sales teams should be ready to spend.
