FEATURE : 2021 TECH PREDICTIONS

This year won ’ t mark an end to the bombardment of phishing attacks , targeted attacks and ransomware the world has experienced in recent months – if anything , 2021 could look like the ‘ wild west ’ in the world of cybersecurity . With cyber criminals becoming increasingly bold and aggressive , and a remote workforce making organisations more vulnerable than before , organisations and CIOs in particular , can expect a challenging year ahead .

Industry pundits share insights on the tech outlook of the Middle East enterprise market and hear predictions about the year ahead .

rife with uncertainty and challenges for both individuals and businesses , there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel . With COVID-19 vaccines approved and the process of being administering having kicked off , this year is starting with many hopeful that it shall be able to return to relative normality that happened prior to the Coronavirus pandemic .

Yet 2021 is also likely to be a year of picking up the pieces and adapting . Business operations have changed significantly and organisations will be tasked with rebalancing and reassessing their systems for a working world that looks drastically different from a year ago . The fact is the enterprise segment in Africa isn ’ t quite out of the woods yet .

With this in mind , here are the top technology and business trends that organisations should keep an eye on , to ensure that they are best positioned for success in 2021 .

Hybrid cloud

Hamilton Ratshefola , Country General Manager , IBM Southern Africa , said IBM has already built three enduring platforms – mainframe , middleware and services – all of which continue today . “ Hybrid cloud is the Fourth Platform and becoming ubiquitous – we ’ re seeing clients use about six different clouds for their business ,” he said .

Ratshefola said clients are realising business value advantage by adopting a consistent hybrid cloud platform approach versus a single public cloud . “ With that significant value advantage and deep investments in AI , IBM is positioned for long-term growth by bringing AI and emerging technologies like quantum and Blockchain to the hybrid cloud ,” he said .

Ratshefola said if there is anything the COVID-19 pandemic has taught the IT industry , it ’ s the critical importance of technology solutions that enable speed , flexibility , insight and innovation . In fact , choosing which technology platforms power your business is the most consequential decision a business can make . Technology platforms are the basis for competitive advantage in the 21st century .

“ CIOs are looking to improve efficiencies in the midst of ever-increasing complexities . We believe that we have introduced solutions and services to help them navigate this year we will really be about expanding on this and helping them navigate new challenges and changing requirements ,” he said .

With the African enterprise IT market undergoing transformation , CIOs are being urged to embrace change and innovate .

At Citrix , Fermin Serna , CISO , believes that : “ Companies are rapidly moving to simplify and shift things to the cloud . And CISOs are adapting to secure the new environment . But five years from now , there will be something else . CISOs will become more agile in adapting to changes as technology evolves in 2021

34 INTELLIGENTCIO AFRICA www . intelligentcio . com