Way back in 1992 email had not arrived for most of us. You’d be skeptical if someone told you that in a few years you would carry a device that could function as a computer, providing access to electronic communications, the internet, news media and function as a camera. Windows 3.1 was the latest and greatest operating system. Fax technology was the premier communication method for businesses, and web browsers were still a thing of the future. Most office networks — for those who actually had them — were simply a series of daisy-chained computers.
ProTech began as a technical talent provider and later branched into technology management. Over the years, our business has expanded into the ever-growing field of threat management by helping our customers protect their networks and data against cyber criminals, a field virtually unheard of when we first opened our doors.
And while many of us thought we’d have personal jetpacks by now, it’s still amazing how far we’ve come. The next 25 years are sure to be full of just as many advancements.
Services
The technology industry is shifting to focus more on services and software and less on hardware. Through services, technology providers have the ability to forge business partnerships with clients that are based on respect and focused on specific goals. In the future, your technology partner will act as a consultant, assisting you in developing your business goals while also providing the hardware and services to accomplish them.
Cloud
Cloud-based services have seen rapid growth in recent years and is currently experiencing high adoption rates across all industries and business sizes. You can now host an entire business in the cloud with Software as a Service, Infrastructure as a Service and born-in-the-cloud applications. Eventually, almost everything will be hosted in the cloud. Businesses will have little choice but to migrate. We are already seeing vendors offer solutions exclusively in the cloud.
Internet of Things (IoT)
The number of IoT devices has been growing steadily as consumer demand drives connectivity. What started out as phones connecting to the internet has grown to include watches, appliances and clothes. More IoT devices are on the horizon, but a growing concern is the security associated with these devices. Because of that, technology providers will be growing their security practices even more in an attempt to combat the flaws that we are currently seeing in IoT devices and those that will arise.
Cyber Security
While this is already a hot topic in the technology industry, we don’t expect it to die down any time soon. Hackers are continuously discovering new loopholes and backdoors. Technology providers will continue to work to stay ahead of hackers. A firewall and antivirus solution is no longer enough; businesses should begin moving to a holistic security approach that covers multiple levels with multiple solutions.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI, still in its infancy, is already accomplishing amazing things. Future AI initiatives will look to create automated processes in an effort to streamline for greater efficiency. As AI begins to creep into businesses, new skillsets will be necessary. Current providers will have to train their staff on new processes and hire up-and-coming talent with the knowledge to work with AI.
The technology industry is expected to experience extreme changes over the next 25 years, but ProTech has been able to grow and evolve with the industry, and we have no plans to stop.
