The most important IT trends in the coming years

In the second article in a series summarizing the survey conducted by SEDIVIO over the course of six months, we will address the most interesting responses, deepening the topic of IT trends. The following opinions come directly from the respondents, expanding on the information provided in the previous publication. We asked IT professionals about the most important directions that will shape the IT market in the coming years.

Economic slowdown and change in priorities

One of the most common predictions about the state of the IT market is related to the global economic slowdown. The respondents we interviewed during our study shared the same perspective as that presented in mass media: the crisis caused by the war in Ukraine and reduced investment have altered priorities in the IT industry.

The growing need for cost optimization means budget cuts and, consequently, the halting or even cancellation of many projects that aren’t considered critical. Nonetheless, our respondents also highlighted potential opportunities that may arise from these challenges. Smaller companies can share their resources, including staff, to remain competitive, which brings additional value in the face of an endless talent shortage. According to the survey, there will be an increase in integration within and between IT teams and departments.

Lack of competence

We have already discussed the topic of lack of competence in a previous article, but it’s reflected in the trends that our survey respondents predict. Clearly, they put an emphasis on a shortage of competent workers—those who rely primarily on self-education and learning new programming techniques. There was a strong opinion about the need to increase skills in creating effective hybrid structures that optimally combine different programming languages. Not surprisingly, artificial intelligence was identified as one of the most significant developments by those surveyed. Specific skills in demand include expertise in machine learning, natural language processing, and data analytics, among others. IT specialists who are not interested in this field are already falling behind their competition. This trend will only worsen. In addition to self-education and learning new programming techniques, IT professionals should also focus on developing their soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, and adaptability, to stay competitive in the job market.

Home office vs. employee benefits

Speaking of benefits, our survey shows that they need to be included in the employment programs as well. Remote work will prevail and get even stronger, and the benefits associated with working from home will increase even further. Insurance, employee care, and a favorable portfolio of additional working benefits may prove to be decisive factors for many candidates. Flexibility, such as unregulated working hours, geographical independence in hiring, and a commitment to team needs beyond work tasks will also be highly valued.

Some respondents went as far as claiming that “the boss thing” will soon disappear. A vertical management structure may be entirely replaced by a vertical one. In such a view, team members are equals, working as parts of a well-oiled mechanism. It won’t matter if they’re programming, testing, or managing the project itself.

Growing importance of IT department integration

According to the data collected by SEDIVIO, the importance of DevOps methodology will only continue to grow. Linking the software development department with the operations department will become more common. Linking the software development department with the operations department will become more common. This approach is more widespread thanks to the many advantages it provides, mainly a reduction in software development time and a higher quality of the final product. SecOps, which grows out of this mindset, will also gain in importance.

Increased regulatory pressure

The results of SEDIVIO’s survey indicate a trend that has been noticeable since 2018. Respondents have predicted the growing need to merge security and software development teams in response to the growing demand for regulatory compliance in projects. This is particularly apparent in the European Union, where the DORA regulation is the latest high-profile topic in IT security. Although this regulation only applies to companies in the financial sector, it indicates a clear trend in the EU. Survey participants have apparently noted that EU directives and local arrangements are continually adding more information security requirements. It’s important to note that hefty penalties are also imposed in the event of non-compliance, which serves as an additional driver of change.

Growing importance of secure software development life cycle (SSDLC)

This process will continue, and IT project management and software change management will be bound by even more regulatory obligations. As a result, the software development cycle will need to incorporate these requirements from the outset. There will be a natural increase in demand for solutions that integrate IT project development and risk management, ideally from the beginning of work. Ignoring this matter and implementing security measures during or after development is not only ineffective but also expensive, and it can impact the quality of the final solution. Many planned features are often dropped due to the cost of securing them after development, which can slow down project closure.

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