IT execs prepare for continued disruption

A new survey of IT executives reveals that while 77 percent say they capably managed the shift to remote work during the COVID-19 outbreak, they're now bracing for continued disruption and rapidly shifting budgets to further weather the pandemic.

The study commissioned by remote access platform TeamViewer underlines the critical nature of IT, as 84 percent attribute their company's survival on providing a stable work environment during and after the pandemic.

This has presented a challenge though, as 78 percent also reported a spike in technical support requests. In response, 69 percent of organizations have channeled new funds to IT in the wake of the pandemic, and 80 percent say they expect to need additional budget during the next year.

As part of the initial work from home response, video conferencing tops the list as the most effective tool (66 percent) according to respondents, followed by cloud storage (59 percent), device management (49 percent) and collaboration (47 percent).

"Businesses capably managed the rapid transition to remote work in response to the COVID-19 pandemic," says Gautam Goswami, CMO at TeamViewer. "But it's critical that IT professionals remain focused on strengthening their infrastructure to guarantee business continuity by putting a range of secure remote connectivity solutions in place."

Security remains a top priority for 57 percent of those surveyed, particularly in response to employees using their own devices and moving from private company networks to the public internet with more access points and increased vulnerabilities.

On average executives expect that it will take more than seven months to return to 'business as usual'. But on the plus side, as businesses fortify their infrastructure, 85 percent agree or strongly agree that their organization will be prepared to manage a future coronavirus outbreak.

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