No. 1

Security:
Protect and prepare

Security is a priority, challenge and
driver for most companies. In the face of relentless determination by bad actors, organizations are expanding their no-breach stance to include a more robust post-breach response. It’s essential to increase investment in education, technology solutions, disaster recovery and cyber recovery technologies like immutable storage.

No. 2

Artificial intelligence (AI):
Find and evaluate

AI buzz peaked in 2024; now it’s time
to determine how AI can work for us. IT leaders are evaluating real-life use cases for generative AI (GenAI) while spending more on advanced analytics that employ traditional data science products and methods. Moving forward, companies will be best served by finding opportunities within their operations to generate more benefit than hype.

No. 3

Budget management:
Control and invest

Budget management calls for ongoing cost controls. IT teams must master the basics to consistently rightsize solutions, control licensing and consolidate systems and infrastructure. Assess the internal costs of managing systems against leveraging public and private cloud solutions. By reducing operation’s transactional costs, IT leaders can invest in initiatives such as stronger security, new technology and a skilled workforce to add significant business value.