The year 2022 will soon be on its way out the door. It became a year full of ups and downs for many small businesses, but it still felt more promising than the past few years in the midst of the pandemic. Many small-business owners used this past year to re-evaluate their IT services. Some needed to strengthen their cyber security defenses while others utilized new advancements to further assist their customer base.
If you're a small-business owner, it's essential that you're aware of the IT news, trends and events that took place in the recent past. In fact, knowing what happened in the previous year can allow you to develop plans for the future so 2023 will be successful for you and your business. You shouldn't continue following old trends because the competition will quickly leave you behind, and that could open you up to cyber-attacks you didn't know existed. Don't worry, though; we're here to help. Here are our picks for the most important IT events and trends of 2022.
Refined Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) has come a long way over the past few years. Many people associate AI with video games or using GPS for travel, but many companies have started to implement AI in new ways to boost their businesses. It's even being used to automate certain tasks, provide insight through data analysis and assist customers with their needs.
AI has proved incredibly beneficial when used to help customers, and this can be seen when looking at various small-business websites. They use AI to answer common questions their customer base has, which provides quick, efficient results for their customers, who leave satisfied with their interaction. Around 37% of businesses now utilize AI in the workplace, according to a survey conducted by Gartner. Another study by NewVantage Partners found that nine out of 10 leading businesses have investments in AI technologies. So, if you want to get ahead of your competitors, implement AI into your business.
Managed IT Services Providers Continuing to Grow in Popularity
Gone are the days of having an in-office IT person or team. A more cost-effective solution has been gaining traction over the past few years and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Managed IT services providers (MSPs) install, support and maintain all the users, devices and PCs connected to your network on a routine basis. MSPs can even prevent common problems such as lost devices, hardware failures, fires, natural disasters and a host of other issues that can interrupt or outright destroy your IT infrastructure and the data it holds. The managed IT services industry is growing immensely. At the end of 2021, the industry was valued at $239.71 billion, and it's estimated to grow by over 13% annually until 2030. Businesses of all sizes have realized the value of MSPs and are using them to their advantage.
Major Cyber-Attacks Of 2022
Cyber-attacks happen all the time. As new cyberthreats emerge, we'll see more frequent and severe cyber-attacks over the next few years. Uber saw another cyber-attack this past September that caused the company to shut down its internal messaging service and engineering systems in order to get to the bottom of the incident. Cryptocurrency storage and blockchain were also high-value targets for cybercriminals. Ronin and Crypto.com suffered severe cyber-attacks that required both companies to reimburse their users for the cryptocurrency stolen in the attack. Ronin was hacked for $540 million, and Crypto.com was hacked for $33 million worth of cryptocurrencies.
Small businesses weren't safe from cyber-attacks either. While cyber-attacks on big businesses make national news, small businesses are targeted more often since their cyber security defenses aren't as strong. That being said, it's imperative you ensure your business has efficient cyber security practices in place, so you won't have to worry as much about cyber-attacks.
The IT industry is consistently changing to keep
up with new developments and advancements. If you're a small-business owner,
it's vital to keep up with the latest news and information so you can best
protect your business and its data. When you stay ahead of the trends, it's
much easier to prevent potential cyber-attacks and threats.
