The 5 Main IT Issues Facing Companies Today

“Someone call IT.”

“Have you had IT look at that?”

“Finish your work by noon so IT can perform system upgrades.”

If you work in an office, you’ve heard one or more of the following phrases get thrown around easily. However, do you know what IT workers actually do?

IT stands for information technology and employees in this area develop software, write code, and yes, figure out what’s going on with your laptop after it displays the blue screen of death.

Like all fast-growing industries, IT is also prone to experiencing growing pains that can have far-reaching consequences. Let’s take a look at five of the main IT issues facing companies in 2018.

1. Security Issues

We’ve all read the articles about security breaches at companies such as Equifax. These attacks allowed hackers to gain access to sensitive information.

There will always be hackers interested in seizing on weaknesses in the company’s infrastructure. It’s one of the most glaring technology problems today. If you aren’t sure if your security software is up to date, then you’re basically admitting that it’s possible for the bad guys to sneak in and wreak havoc.

What’s the solution? For many places of business, it lies in moving from a typical point-of-service security system to a more manageable Unified Threat Management system. It’s a more efficient, centralized answer to network security.

2. Finding Talent

The IT career field is going at a tremendous speed. In some cases, it may be growing too fast for the supply to keep up with the demand. Computer and information systems managers are just one type of IT job and the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts job growth of 12 percent through 2026, which is definitely faster than average.

Nevertheless, while people are applying for these jobs, companies are having trouble finding candidates with the right mix of skills. That’s especially important when dealing with cybersecurity issues like the ones mentioned above.

There’s no one solution here, rather companies would do well to find and develop talent early on as well as provide additional training as often as possible.

3. Budget Woes

Companies always want to maximize profits, which is understandable, although that impulse often results in a budget crunch that forces IT employees into untenable positions.

IT workers need enough time and resources to be able to perform their jobs well. Asking one worker to do the job of four people may work in the short-term, but a company has to show it values its employees. Burnout leads to bad morale rather than innovation.

4. Digital Advancement

IT workers and top executives often have different ideas of just how quickly a company should be working on things such as developing an app or updating their website to be more user-friendly.

It’s easy for companies to assume they can keep doing the same things that have worked before. In reality, that makes it more likely they’ll be left behind.

Digital advancement should be fast and responsive as well as deliberate and responsible.

5. The Cloud

IT workers are very familiar with the cloud. The question is how should the cloud change to meet the needs of the businesses it serves? Is one cloud enough for every business or does it need multiple clouds?

Clouds are scalable and flexible. Those are very useful traits that can also be intimidating.

Ignoring the cloud and other current technological issues is tempting, but getting help with cloud computing services is better.

We Can Help Solve IT Issues

We can help your company address the technological issues of today.

That’s because we’ve been around Silicon Valley for almost two decades. We have plenty of experience with problems that cropped up in the past, which makes us all the more confident in our ability to handle future IT issues.

Sagacent Technologies offers technology management and support, including proactive/preventative maintenance, onsite and offsite data back-ups, network and security audits, mobility solutions, disaster planning and emergency business resumption services. The company serves clients of 10 to 150 employees within the Silicon Valley region.