Q1 Top 3 Small-Medium Business Technology Trends

As the CEO of a rapidly growing Managed IT Services Provider, I have a birds-eye view of our teams, systems, and client interactions. This allows me to have a finger on the pulse of various opportunities, technology and business trends within the SMB market in Canada. 2023 is off to a fast pace and the top three trends I’m seeing are tied to cybersecurity, IT infrastructure upgrades, and technology investments. 

Security Posture 

A term that wasn’t that common a few years ago is now something I hear on weekly basis. Reviewing and assessing your security posture regularly is critical. IT security is not a “set and forget” scenario, it’s something you need to bake into your rhythm whether you’re a ten or 100-person business. Multifactor Authentication, Password Management, Managed Detection & Response, and Cybersecurity Insurance are topics that come up often in new and existing client conversations. I am unfortunately still seeing a trend of businesses prioritizing cybersecurity only after an incident has occurred. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when and the question is: is your business prepared? One strategy we’ve implemented at Nucleus and have seen at other businesses is the formation of a security committee composed of internal and external resources which is responsible for reviewing and enhancing the security posture of your business. 

Evergreen Planning 

A lot of businesses have aging hardware and software as the pandemic put a pause on standard evergreen cycles. We are now seeing the impact of this pause with more legacy systems present than ever before which poses a variety of risks. Only now are we witnessing widespread upgrades of computers, servers, software, and cloud viability assessments for standard line of business applications. An evergreen plan is important as it ensures optimal stability, uptime, and performance of your business. Understanding the current state of your hardware and software inventory is essential and understanding the risks of running legacy software is equally important. 

Technology as an Enabler 

Over the last few years, we’ve seen accelerated digital transformation across all industries. Work from anywhere, hybrid work, IT security assessments, you name it. Businesses are using technology to their advantage but in some cases, organizations still need to modernize their environment. We are helping more businesses with modernization projects whether it be forklifting on premises infrastructure to the cloud, assessing a single business application, or helping our clients find a better SaaS fit. More businesses have adopted a hybrid workforce which means historical technology infrastructure and information systems may not be optimal for this work setup. We are seeing a trend of more businesses investing in technology as an enabler of their business, versus looking at technology as simply a cost centre.  

Sometimes business leaders don’t know where to start, and this is where our vCIO Services team can help, we’ve seen an uptick with vCIO opportunities and requests from clients and net new clients that need someone to help modernize their business with technology.

If you’d like to discuss any of the above, feel free to reach out to me directly.