- Research commissioned by Citrix reveals that after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the IT function / department is more valued than ever
- Remote work reinforces the importance of IT in companies, by allowing employees to do activities safely from anywhere
In this scenario of uncertainties, changes and, above all, adaptations, technology has consolidated itself as a fundamental tool for the continuity of operations. Beginning with the home office race, in which several companies were forced to adopt the remote work mode overnight, CIOs and IT managers quickly gained space and evidence in ensuring business continuity. This is revealed by the “Digital Shake” survey commissioned by Citrix, (NASDAQ: CTXS), a company specialized in digital work solutions, which listened to 250 IT decision makers in Brazil, of which 91% agree on the function / department being more valued than ever.
“Companies are realizing the importance of providing adequate, flexible tools and the work format that employees want. But it is not so simple and it is not restricted to just guaranteeing the delivery of the technology. It is, above all, about providing a good experience to the employee - which will keep these professionals committed to the success of the work ”, explains Luciana Pinheiro, director of Citrix Brasil.
According to Luciana, the IT area has assumed a leading position within companies and today has a much more strategic and business-related role than in the past. "More than ever, cutting edge technology is needed to help companies provide flexibility and succeed in their core activities."
Remote work x information security
The emergency home office scenario favored this advance in the representativeness of IT. This is because, if the challenge at the beginning of the crisis was to send employees home, for the IT professional the main objective was to keep them productive. The race to make computers available and personalized, to allow remote access to corporate data and applications, to make infrastructure adjustments to support the new reality of working urgently, were just some examples of IT tasks. Not to mention the concern with security.
As research shows, since the impact of COVID-19, IT managers report that an average of 60% of the workforce in their organization now operates at home using personal rather than corporate devices. In addition, accounts and videoconferencing cameras were the most introduced applications (46%) in response to the impact of COVID-19. As a result, more than 77% of IT decision makers heard by the survey claim to have seen an increase in security-related consultations as a result of domestic and remote work.
“Many CIOs and those in charge of IT areas had to adapt to the demands of an emergency situation in which technology has become the main ally of business continuity. According to Luciana, the main results expected from the employee's good technological experience are productivity and engagement, especially among professionals in leadership positions, usually more demanding with digital transformation initiatives. The ease of access, friendly interfaces and the possibility to work from anywhere and with any device, make up this scenario.
Challenges for the sector
Despite the growing concern about the security of companies' sensitive data, informal channels of communication used by employees in remote work are helping teams to be more effective, with 80% of respondents reporting on the use of these tools by company employees.
But this is not the only obstacle for the corporate IT professional. About 58% of the IT managers heard in the survey characterized the experience of quickly moving the majority of the workforce into the home office as a challenge. The most significant situation was in relation to the availability of IT hardware and software.
Changes for the better
As a key role in supporting other departments of companies working remotely, 85% of respondents said they interacted more through videoconferencing with colleagues from other sectors than they normally do in person, and for 81% the contact between IT and the leadership team increased significantly.
Regarding the way they are seen within the company, 84% of the IT professionals interviewed report that their visibility and status in the organization increased after the crisis. Still on the benefits to the sector, from the workers heard, 80% agree that they are personally in a better position to seek a promotion and that they are in a much better position to negotiate the increase of their IT budget in the future (77%).
The survey, commissioned by Citrix, was carried out with 250 IT leaders in medium-sized companies in Brazil during the 8th and 18th of June this year.
To learn more about Citrix solutions and the value they can offer, visit www.citrix.com.
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