5 Technology Trends for Small Business in 2021

2021 tech trends

Last year was a year that will go down in history for more reasons than one. 2020 was also an extremely trying and transformational year for many small businesses. As we look to the year ahead, we will see organizations continue to restructure their new business models to prepare for stability and growth in this new normal.

Here are 5 technology trends that we predict to see in the year ahead:

  1. Growth of anywhere operations

One of the most significant shifts for many workers in 2020 was the swift adoption of remote work. Business will continue to operate remotely in 2021, enabling a ‘digital-first, remote-first’ mentality. ‘Anywhere operations’ models are being adopted at rapid speeds to succeed during and post COVID-19.

ANP’s Secure Cloud Advantage is an example of a ‘work anywhere’ solution that delivers small and midsize businesses the cloud-based tools they need to always stay productive and secure.

  1. Redefining IT Security

When work moved from the office to your employees’ kitchens and living rooms, the traditional network perimeter dissolved as far as IT security is concerned. That means businesses can no longer employ a conventional approach to cybersecurity, as many IT assets are now situated outside the walls of their offices.

Proper cybersecurity will necessitate a “mesh” rather than “walled city” approach, as explained by Gartner Top Strategic Technology Trends for 2021.

Moving forward businesses must redefine the perimeter based on the identities of people and things. For businesses seeking a remote work solution that balances accessibility with security, ANP leverages a zero-trust framework. With Secure Cloud Advantage, your end users have a single identity based on unique device characteristics, multi-factor authentication and other app classifications.

  1. Home Offices as Criminal Hubs

In 2021 you can expect to see threat actors on the lookout for security gaps in organizations’ current security postures and ready to take advantage of weak points. This lack of preparedness and the inability to support a remote workforce securely has led to an increase in ransomware. 

In home routers will be a target for remote attacks. Cybercriminals can offer hacked routers on the dark web and sell access to high-value networks. Likewise, it’s possible for cybercriminals to apply the same method to attack to Internet of Things devices on your network.

Additionally, look for new Covid-19 phishing scams that will continue to make their way into your end-users’ inboxes. Some of the topics scammers will leverage include: vaccines, stimulus fraud, and more.

  1. Intelligent networks are the new normal

This new normal of work anywhere will put new pressures on IT departments and vendors alike, as there will be an increasing need for a larger skillset to support  hybrid architectures - be it cloud, on premises, or edge computing.

Intelligent and intent-based networks that offer integrated security - such as SD-WAN with SASE and Zero Trust security or virtual networks for multicloud – will be adopted in the SMB market to deal with the increased cybersecurity threat of their new perimeter.

  1. Hyper-automation

As businesses change their business model to adopt work anywhere operations, there is a strong need to automate manual, paper pushing tasks. There are several low-code and no-code solutions becoming more popular – including 365 business applications available in your subscription. In 2021, you can bet that many businesses will be looking for solutions to eliminate all in-office tasks.

For 2021 and beyond, it’s not necessarily the technology itself that will make the biggest impact on your success, but rather how well your business can adopt these new digital solutions.

Do you have a modern IT provider with the digital skillset and bandwidth to manage and support this shift?

As your trusted IT partner, ANP is here to help you with your digital transformation and to determine the best path for your business as we move forward in 2021 and beyond. If you’d like to learn about how we’re helping other businesses like yours get a foothold and grow in this new normal, contact ANP today at 215.572.0111. 

 

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