For decades now businesses have commonly run to a 4 year IT strategy. Financial controllers and owners alike have been keen to know their running costs for the next several years in regards to technology. These 4 year plans also made sense as they commonly aligned to the lifecycle of most server infrastructure.

As a Managed Service Provider (MSP) we see first hand the trends and changing landscape of how SMB's engage in technology. In the wake of the pandemic, 'out of the box' thinking is at an all time high. This creative thought has driven SMB's to place increased priority to finding innovative ways to use technology.

Cybersecurity and cybercrime have continued their near exponential growth in 2020 with an estimated 85% more cybercrime globally than was reported in 2019. There is increased focus and thought being put towards cybersecurity in both commercial and government sectors.

When it comes to reviewing IT services many desire to be in a position to be able to compare 'Apples with Apples'. The reasoning is always quite simple. Given the inherent complexity surrounding IT coupled with a lack of expert knowledge in the area it makes sense to simplify the selection process.

Every 12 months the new year brings renewed commitments, ambitions and aspirations. In 2021 many businesses are setting new year resolutions to review their IT. Why? put simply 2020 has shown businesses just how much more they could be taking advantage of technology to advance their business.

Almost every business has now adopted some form of cloud. In 2020 the shift has accelerated as many businesses scrambled to adapt to remote working, changing workplace environments, and plans to permanently change the way they work forever.

For small to medium businesses (SMB), the majority of this change takes the form of migrating their data and identity services to Microsoft 365. The ongoing maturation of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem combined with it's various collaboration and productivity tools represents enormous opportunity for SMB's to better leverage technology.

Much has been publicised in 2020 about increasing cyber attacks on Australian businesses. Data shows that the number of attacks has in fact increased by 30%. Amongst the conversation, businesses have been urged to adopt Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). Whilst most people have generally been exposed to this in some form, many remain unclear as to the true purpose & meaning.

As an IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) we regularly receive calls and referrals from businesses actively looking for a new IT support provider. Whilst every situation is different the reasons largely revolve around a desire for better service, more proactivity and trusted advice and strategy with future purchasing decisions.

As an outsourced IT support provider involved with many small to medium businesses (SMB) we have deep insight into a variety of industries. As such, there are a number of observations we have made in 2020 in light of the pandemic which we believe are interesting lessons that are worth sharing.

The design and adoption of modern IT solutions has become a major focus in 2020. Small to Medium Businesses (SMB) are looking for innovative ways to improve their collaboration, communication and value they deliver to clients. The success of these innovations however is commonly more about the organisations ability to problem solve and brainstorm rather than the technology itself.