62% of businesses in Ireland have rearchitected their IT infrastructure to meet new remote and hybrid working demands, according to a survey by global digital infrastructure firm, Equinix.
The company surveyed 2,600 IT decision-makers across 26 countries and also found that across Ireland, 75% of digital leaders believe there will be long-term changes to where and how people work within their organisation.
44% of Irish company tech budgets have increased to accelerate digital transformation and 49% of firms across the island still intend to expand into new regions, countries or metros, despite the disruption experienced as a result of Covid-19, suggests the research.
Of that 49%, more than half (53%) plan to achieve this virtually, rather than by investing in physical IT infrastructure in-market.
'Digital transformation in the post-pandemic future'
Digitisation and business investment in digital infrastructure have increased as a result of COVID-19.
54% of the digital leaders surveyed in Ireland said they have accelerated digital transformation plans because of the pandemic, while 51% said they want to invest in technology to be more agile post-COVID.
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.
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49% of IT leaders in Ireland said they believe interconnection—the direct and private exchange of data between organisations—will help them to navigate the challenges they face due to the pandemic's impact.
Those stating interconnection can help their business gain competitive advantage within the marketplace increased to 46%, up from 36% last year's research from Equinix.
Utilising interconnection for success
Maurice Mortell, Managing Director, Ireland and 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.”
The Global Interconnection Index (GXI) Volume 4, a market study recently published by Equinix, forecasts that overall interconnection bandwidth—the measure of private connectivity for the transfer of data between organizations—will achieve a 45% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2019 to 2023, globally.
The expected growth is driven by digital transformation, and specifically by greater demands from enterprises extending their digital infrastructure from centralized locations to distributed edge locations.
To read more about the Global Tech Trends Survey, or download a copy, please visit: https://www.equinix.com/resources/infopapers/equinix-tech-trends-survey
