Where Are Companies Spending Their IT Dollars This Year?

David Bates, Vice President, Marketing and eCommerce, U.S. Solution Providers, Xerox

Every year marks a fresh start of new business goals and expectations. Now that 2014 is in full swing, companies have already begun to embrace the new strategies laid out for the New Year. Now more than ever, implementing technology plays a critical role in business operations. So what type of technology are companies investing in to help them get to the next level and achieve their business goals for 2014? To explore this topic, let’s reflect on what we heard from participants at our SMB Dreaming Discussion, which recently took place in Philadelphia. 

Hosted by Gene Marks, SMB expert and nationally recognized New York Times columnist, we gathered IT professionals and small business owners to discuss a variety of topics including what future tech investments these professionals are considering. There was much conversation, because after all – IDC predicts IT spending within SMBs to continue to increase as it heads toward the $1 trillion mark by 2015.  

Per the live discussion, here are some strategies and predictions we’re tracking for the remainder of the year:

  • The continuing shift to mobile: 2014 will continue to bring a huge shift in mobility within the workplace, and we will also see deeper mobile and tablet rollouts — not just for sales teams but all staff.
  • Using apps to solve unique business problems: A fair share of chatter at the Dreaming Discussion centered on customizing workflows. And with the expanded shift to mobile we’re seeing, we’ll also see an expanded suite of workflow applications to make this switch seamless. During the discussion, many had questions about apps that could be customized to fit their unique situations, versus off the shelf apps built for broad use. We may see companies opt for custom app development built specifically to address their needs versus white-labeling inflexible third party services. 
  • The rise of Chief X Officers: 2013 was a year in which new roles such as chief innovation officers, chief data officers and chief digital officers began to rise. As always, new technology and trends require new roles, so we think you’ll start to see more of these titles leading or working with IT departments in companies across the country this year.

Let us know your thoughts! We’d like to hear what future tech investments your organization is considering or any tips you may have when it comes to investing in and implementing new technology in the workplace. 

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