Technology is leading the way to global economic growth in 2022

While the specifics of the technology industry continue to reveal a strong and growing sector, the most important characteristic of technology is its extended impact on the global economy and the job market. In many ways, the lines are becoming blurred between the direct growth of technology and the indirect influence it has on every business and every facet of life.

Data from consulting firm Bain & Company shows how technology has led the way in global economic growth. The largest growth comes from “born tech” companies, which have technology as a central part of their identity. These firms have contributed 52% of total market value growth since 2015. Another 20% of market value growth has come from companies with a tech-led strategy that augments more traditional models.

Mecer Inter-Ed is playing a pivotal role in ensuring quality education and certification across all IT related fields by responding to the need for qualified professionals to assist and support this global increase in the ICT field.

Key categories of the technology industry

Infrastructure

Companies continue to pursue a cloud-first architecture. This means considering cloud as the first option for new components and migrating existing systems where the cost/benefit analysis makes sense. As companies place more of their IT architecture in the cloud and consider new options for their workforce, networking performance becomes more critical. Other backend components such as server administration and storage are also part of a broader modernization of the IT building blocks. The emerging area of IoT continues to be a minor focus area, continuing the path of measured adoption that was taking place pre-pandemic.

Software development

Whether they are dealing with internal stakeholders or external customers, companies continue to emphasise user experience in the area of software development. The app approach that became widespread with the explosion of mobile devices redefined expectations around software usability, and many companies are still climbing the learning curve. The need for quality assurance is tied to the speed of development cycles, as organizations are trying to accelerate their processes without disrupting workflow. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are taking a step forward this year as companies shift back to pursuing advantages with intelligent algorithms, and the skills needed are both in developing the algorithms and managing the outcomes. As companies build out their software capabilities, they will drive more interaction between software development and infrastructure operations, leading to more demand for DevOps.

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is possibly the most complex of the four pillars, covering expanded defences that companies must build, innovative approaches to proactively test those defences, and internal processes that create secure operations. Privacy is top of mind as the uses of data in a digital economy continue to be scrutinised. Risk analysis, cybersecurity analytics and penetration testing are all areas that need improvement as companies adopt a zero-trust mindset. Cybersecurity metrics are starting to get more focus as a way of bridging the gap between cybersecurity best practices and business health. Workforce education is possibly underrated as a priority. New concerns that stem from a remote workforce have been a primary trigger for both security awareness education and security investments.

Data management

Finally, the field of data is not set up to be a dedicated function as often as cybersecurity, but it is still a field where businesses are trying to establish comprehensive policies and management. Database administration is still the top focus area heading into 2022, as many companies continue to move away from spreadsheets and other simplistic forms of data management. The emphasis on data management and policies shows that businesses are beginning to take a more comprehensive approach to their data, which in turn will drive more specialisation. While data visualisation and predictive analytics have relatively strong demand, those areas are still difficult to tackle without a holistic data management strategy.

When it comes to career growth, there are three distinct areas IT pros expect to develop. First is technical skill within their existing specialisation. With so many different topics within each pillar, there is plenty of room for growth. Second is teamwork and communication. As technology regains a more strategic flavour, there is a greater need to explain technical hurdles and cooperate on unique solutions. The final focus for career growth is technical skill in a new area. The four pillars interact in unique ways, and these overlaps define how business solutions are built and maintained.

Assess and advance your team with the CompTIA ITIQ skills evaluation

Don’t wait until costly errors happen to find out where your employees need additional training. The CompTIA ITIQ Skills Evaluation offers a simple, and proven solution to verify employees that have the appropriate knowledge to fulfil their job roles. Taking the evaluation is 100% FREE.

Some of the job roles CompTIA evaluations cover:

• Customer Support Representative
• Remote/Helpdesk Support Technician
• Field Service Support Technician
• Network Support Technician/Specialist
• Security Engineer/ Specialist
• System Administrator
• Network Administrator
• Storage Administrator
• Security Architect/ Specialist
• Cloud Architect

CompTIA’s skills evaluation benefits:

• Analyses skills across multiple job roles
• Provides a snapshot of current skills
• Identifies skills gaps
• Benchmarks your team against industry standards
• Groups results and comparisons allowing for in-depth analysis
• Results assist with staff career development
• Supports planning and budgeting for an overall training program.

CompTIA courses at Mecer Inter-Ed build skills that will credit your employees an opportunity of growth and improvement, depositing positively towards their job-roles, which will lead to impressive outcomes for the company or organisation. At MIE we make it our business to help you elevate your staff, upholding the industry standards while contributing to the ever-growing ICT field. Don’t delay, book your training today!