Maurice Mortell, Equinix

Digital leaders expect long-term changes to work practices

Equinix report reveals that 54% of digital leaders in Ireland have accelerated their DX plans
Trade
Maurice Mortell, Equinix

18 May 2021

Three-quarters of digital leaders in Ireland believe there will be long-term changes to where and how people work Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted, according to this year’s Equinix Global Tech Trends survey.

According to the report, 62% of businesses in Ireland have rearchitected their IT infrastructure to meet remote and hybrid working demands, with tech budgets increasing to accelerate digital transformation (DX) efforts. Furthermore, almost half (49%) of Irish companies still intend to expand into new regions, countries or cities, despite the disruption experienced as a result of the pandemic.

The pace of digitisation and business investment in digital infrastructure increased as a result of Covid-19. Some 54% of the digital leaders surveyed in Ireland said they accelerated digital transformation plans because of the pandemic, while 44% said their budgets had been increased to satisfy the rapid growth in digital demands.

There has also been a major overhaul of IT strategies in Ireland to meet the challenges emerging from the pandemic. Almost two-thirds, (62%) said they have revised their IT strategy as a result of Covid-19, while 51% said they want to invest in technology to be more agile post-pandemic.

The Equinix Global Trends survey polled of 2,600 IT decision makers across 26 countries in the Americas, Asia-Pacific and EMEA regions.

Asked about their biggest priorities for their organisation’s digital strategy, 84% of respondents in Ireland reported improving their organisations’ cyber security was a top priority, with 45% saying they see interconnection as a key facilitator of digital transformation.

It was also found that concerns that the pandemic would halt Irish companies’ expansion plans have been assuaged.

Almost half (49%) of businesses in Ireland still have plans to expand into new regions, countries or metros, according to the digital leaders surveyed. Of those businesses with expansion plans more than half (53%) expected to achieve this virtually, rather than by investing in physical IT infrastructure.

A further 49% of IT leaders in Ireland said they believe interconnection will help them to navigate the challenges they face due to Covid-19. Those stating interconnection can help their business gain competitive advantage within the marketplace increased to 46%, up from 36% last year.

Maurice Mortell, managing director, Ireland & Emerging Markets, Equinix, said: “Our research shows that IT leaders in Ireland have been preparing for a digital, interconnected future since well before the pandemic. This preparation is now being put to use as we embrace digital transformation at a pace that is multiple times faster than expected.

“It is very clear to business leaders that interconnection through multi-cloud adoption is key to transformation. Every day, we see new solutions being designed and offered to customers, which is not only accelerating the rate of transformation but also building confidence in the future of new and intelligent technologies. The enterprises that can successfully pivot to digital now are the ones that will have a competitive edge post-Covid.”

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