OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS – HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF TECH IN 2023

MORE and more businesses will move towards cloud-based services in 2023, a leading tech expert has predicted.

Mark Wiseman, from the Connectus Group, also said that it was vital companies in all parts of the UK get to benefit from the 5G rollout next year.

Highlighting what he thinks will be the biggest growth areas in tech Mr Wiseman, the Group Commercial Director at Connectus, said: “More and more businesses are moving towards the cloud. By 2025, 60% of infrastructure, security, data, and network offerings will require cloud-based control platforms that enable extensive automation and promise major reductions in ongoing operating costs. So next year will be a key transition period for many businesses. Companies are increasingly likely to look to outside IT providers who can help support this move to the Cloud.

“I also expect to see rapid advancements in the use of Augmented Reality, deployment of chatbots and the expansion of 5G as three key trends in 2023 that, if utilised, can help accelerate growth for many forward thinking businesses.

In particular, an effective 5G network provides fast data transfer, and is essential to the newest technologies and IoT. It’s vital all areas of the UK, not just the south-east, benefit from it. We still have extreme tech-poverty in parts of the north of England and in rural locations across the country. This has to end.”

Mr Wiseman said that at the same time as embracing opportunities, businesses continue to face risks from cyber-security criminals.

“They are forever changing their tactics and creating misery,” he warned. “The cost of living crisis next year will only make this risk more acute, and any businesses tempted to downgrade the amount of resources they spend in this area could be in for a nasty and very costly wake up call. So next year will bring bigger risks to beware of.

“According to many forecasts, annual investment in AI technology will hit £15bn globally by 2030. So it’s clear we are on a path towards relying on AI more and more, and this will accelerate through 2023. Public companies, private firms and the general public have already been using AI for quite some time. But I expect its use to be turbocharged in the next 12 months.

The Internet Of Things will be even bigger this time next year than it is now. The IoT is an extensive system of electronic devices that automatically communicates and exchanges various information and data through the web. Every year, the number of IoT devices used by a single person increases. It is estimated that by 2030, each person will be using up to 20 IoT devices so the next 12 months will be key in bringing more and more people up to speed with the benefits of the IoT, and how it can help them in their everyday lives. As IoT grows, so must our awareness of the security risks – we often think of cyber security at work but must be just as vigilant at home.”