Jan. 8, 2025 /Mpelembe Media/ —  Info-Tech Research Group’s 2024 Best of Report highlights key technological trends shaping the future of IT, focusing on strategic priorities for UK IT leaders to address challenges and opportunities in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. The report specifically addresses cybersecurity, data quality, and operational efficiency while also examining the impact of AI and other emerging technologies.

The Info-Tech Research Group’s approach to its “Best of 2024” report involved several key elements, focusing on both technological trends and strategic priorities for IT leaders.

Focus on Key Trends:

• The report highlights exponential advancements in AI and other emerging technologies as a significant force reshaping how organisations prepare for the future.
• It emphasizes the importance of data quality improvements for organizations.
• Workforce strategies are identified as crucial for success in an era of rapid technological change.
• Cybersecurity remains a major focus for IT leaders.
• Data analytics and operational efficiency are presented as important emerging priorities.
• The report also notes the importance of cloud technologies.

Strategic Priorities:

• The report emphasizes strengthening core IT foundations, including improvements to service desk performance, data quality, and analytics to enhance operational efficiency. This included focusing on areas like the Service Desk and IT Management & Governance Framework capabilities.
• Proactively addressing cybersecurity risks is another priority, with strategies such as developing a comprehensive IAM improvement strategy and building an information security strategy being highlighted.
• Harnessing AI and advanced analytics is a key focus, with the report encouraging the use of roadmaps to integrate emerging technologies and drive innovation.
• Enabling resilient talent strategies is also addressed, with frameworks for addressing tech talent shortages and fostering workforce resilience being noted.
• The report highlights the need for driving data-informed decisions, achieved by unlocking valuable insights and aligning technology initiatives with business objectives.

Shift in IT Leadership:

• The report reflects a shift in IT leadership, moving from simply responding to technological change to actively driving it. IT leaders are encouraged to see technological changes as influencing broader business strategies and decision-making processes.
• A strategic approach that balances immediate operational needs with long-term innovation is seen as essential.

The report also emphasizes the importance of aligning IT strategies with organisational goals. It suggests that IT leaders should focus on building strong operational foundations. IT leaders are also being encouraged to be more responsive to technological change. This involves adopting new technologies strategically to deliver business outcomes. The research group suggests that organisations need to be able to integrate new technologies to transform the potential of exponential technologies like AI.

The report suggests that IT leaders need to focus on building strong operational foundations to stay competitive and drive innovation. IT leaders are also encouraged to be responsive to technological change and adopt new technologies strategically to deliver business outcomes. This involves integrating new technologies to transform the potential of exponential technologies like AI. A strategic approach that balances immediate operational needs with long-term innovation is essential.

The Info-Tech Research Group is mentioned as collaborating with McLean & Company for HR research and advisory services, and SoftwareReviews for software buying insights.

According to Jack Talpain, Senior Vice President of Research Development at Info-Tech Research Group, their role is to provide IT leaders with the tools and frameworks they need to turn vision into actionable strategies. This includes a focus on “roadmaps to cybersecurity and talent management”, and he says, “our resources are empowering IT teams to address today’s challenges while building capacity for tomorrow’s innovations”.

Talpain positions Info-Tech Research Group as a key partner for IT leaders, providing resources and guidance that go beyond simply reacting to change, but rather focusing on empowering IT teams to proactively drive innovation.

Overall, Info-Tech’s approach in its 2024 report was to provide a comprehensive overview of the IT landscape, outlining key technological trends, strategic priorities, and the need for a more proactive and strategically aligned IT leadership.