Upcoming Challenges Within the IT and Software Industry And The Role of eLearning in Tackling Them
As IT and software companies start opening their doors to regular operations, news has it that there are challenges which creep beyond the scare of COVID-19 and the pandemic.
There are some real challenges staring down the back of the IT industry and it is poised to affect everybody who is a part of this hi-tech industry.
From chinks in the long-standing armor of software security to new regulations which are every large tech-giant’s current worry and rapidly changing demand, there is a lot happening. However, we believe that training and development can play a small but important part in the grand scheme of things.
Why?
Because all the challenges listed here have stemmed from some form of laggard or regressive behaviour of organizations towards improving operations, mindsets, and processes when the time was right. This resulted in some major decisions that the industry now has to take collectively.
New Regulations are Coming and Everybody is Under the Scanner
The European Commission has presented two new pieces of legislation which directly impacts how tech companies manage data, its own products, and the powers that they hold over users’ device and software. What this means for companies working in the US is that these regulations may soon follow suit in the US region as well. It is indicated that Europe’s legislation will serve as a guideline to the new and rapidly forming IT and software regulations that are being drafted for the US region.
These new regulations will have a long-standing impact on how big tech works and all the smaller establishments that operate as vendors, extended partners, and suppliers in some form or way. In order for the big tech companies to operate unhindered, they will place a stronger emphasis on working with compliant and ethical smaller entities because any breach in SOPs by any vendor along the chain will result in strong actions taken against big tech companies themselves.
Needless to say, training on the impending guidelines and restrictions is something that many small organizations can stand to benefit from. Ensuring they are compliant and furnishing proof of compliance along all levels of the management, staff, and data processing will certainly benefit organizations in the eyes of the big tech.
Security Breach Along All Levels
New reports have indicated that the entirety of US was under a 9-month long data breach and IT espionage attack from external sources. Famously called the Solar Winds attacks, these attacks uncovered some startling weak links in the security measures of government agencies and big tech players. The complete picture on the cause and effects of the data breach is yet to unfold. However, reports have stated that all major government establishments and large corporations like Nvidia and Intel were breached.
Once again, it is difficult to say where along the chain of command these breaches occurred, but it is a clear indicator of aging security measures and protocols. It is also an indication of the lax mindset of the people and departments in-charge of managing security for large tech companies.
This news certainly raises concerns over what procedures are tech companies following to ensure the privacy and security of their customers’ data. Especially when the push for a more digitized approach to financial transactions is on the roll. The financial and security details of millions of US citizens and their transactions pass through and are stored by some of the biggest tech companies as a result of an increase for tech related services. However, does the job of serving the customer end once the product or service is delivered?
More startlingly is the fact that smaller organizations are a part of this industry as well. They too work with all kinds of sensitive customer data, and if big players with their impressive teams are susceptible to these vicious cyber-attacks, one wonders about the measures smaller companies need to take towards data protection.
In the coming period, data and security-based training is something that all organization’s have to keep at the forefront of their decision making process. Especially since early market forecasts and predictions claim that the pandemic and its aftermath will and has only fuelled the demand for more IT and tech products. Training security teams to identify future attacks and loopholes in the existing security infrastructure of all tech companies should be the primary concern. Updating the skills and abilities of the people in charge of these departments should also be looked into. No wonder the European Legislations on data management and privacy is tightening. The ball cannot be dropped with regard to keeping data and use information safe.
Possibilities of Finding and Training New Vendors
Across the globe is a new challenge that is arising and is rapidly threatening the future of how hardware manufacturers will operate.
Taiwan is the world’s biggest and most sought-after destination to outsource hardware manufacturing to. Some of the world’s best chipset manufacturers for hire are located here and the chips manufactured here are used by almost all major electronics manufacturers to power their latest generations of products.
However, with tightening trade policies, US tech manufacturers may face increased difficulty in procuring these hi-tech chipsets. From what some of the CEOs of the biggest Taiwanese chipset manufacturers have to say, these trade policies will kick in sooner than later.
This news has sent shockwaves across the globe but has hit closer to home in the US than most. From Apple to Intel and almost all major US electronics manufacturers are highly reliant on Taiwan’s ability to manufacture high quality and hi-tech chipsets at a fraction of the price. Moreover, the Taiwanese expertise and infrastructure to manufacture these chipsets is a big reason why manufacturers are worried.
The only other solution that seems plausible is to plan to move manufacturing of chipsets outside Taiwan. Many organizations are already considering this, however, this move does not come without its share of challenges.
Tech companies will have to find a suitable destination to relocate this manufacturing to. But more importantly, the knowledge transfer needed to manufacture chipsets at par with Taiwan is what these companies have to contend with.
Without adequate training and transferring knowledge, manufacturing anywhere else will be a difficult nightmare to process. Moreover, these training and campaigns will not be short term processes because of the extensive need to obsess over the various parameters of chipset manufacturing which starts right at sourcing the materials needed, to setting up the right manufacturing processes, including machinery and robotics, to stringent quality checks, and timely order completion.
The need for localized training and vendor compliance will take frontstage here. And big tech companies that realize this sooner and the ones that move faster to address this growing challenge will stand to benefit the most.
Widening Skill Gaps
Technology is a tool which benefits all, but if left ignored can quickly fall out of the hand of its wielder. According to CompTIA research indicates that 93% employees are reporting some form of a skill gap which is currently affecting their ability to progress into newer job roles.
This is especially worrisome because this means that new positions are left unfilled because technology is evolving, and the people needed to fill them are just not evolving fast enough and at pace. This is a serious issue of skillset disparity between the desired skills of IT professionals and their existing skills.
IT leaders and CIOs need to take charge of this widening skill gap by quickly determining areas where training, development, and upskilling can be employed to effectively reduce this widening gap. Currently, 80% of organizations claim that this skill deficiency is affecting at least one area of their operations, be it development, security, or even customer management.
Industry experts say that investing in hiring the right tech talent at the right price is a solution to this, but without there been enough tech talent that are proficient in advanced technology the gap will only widen. This leaves most organizations with the only choice of aggressively upskilling their staff right now while the time is right.
Latency Issues in Addressing Demand and Offsite Implementations
As the pandemic set in during the first half of 2020 and organizations switched to a work-from-home setting, some organizations also took the hard decision to lay off workers and staff. What these organizations did not predict was the rise in demand for tech products like computers, laptops, communications software, and tablets.
This suddenly threw many large computer manufacturers and software companies into a tizz because procuring the semi-finished components to complete the manufacturing process meant they had to work around the global lockdown.
Additionally, software companies found it difficult to deploy on-site solutions and/or send their staff to client locations to assist with implementations and onboarding and whole list of activities that require site visits.
However, as things are opening up, the backlog of tasks to achieve and complete are only increasing. This has caused a latency issue in addressing existing demand. If organizations do not quickly find a way to scale and meet this increase in needs, someone else will.
This is where training and development definitely comes into play and can assist with a lot more than one may think. From helping staff to increase productivity, to helping train customers across the globe to implement offsite solutions, eLearning is versatile and can do a lot. It’s a just a matter of understanding the endless possibilities of using eLearning to quickly achieve tasks and working to implement them.
We have over 14+ years of experience in working with organizations and providing them eLearning solutions that work at scale. Our assessment of the IT industry and the upcoming challenges that this industry is facing gives us a head-up about the kind of training solutions that are really needed here. We suggest that organizations assess what’s at risk and move on time to address them if coming out on top of this change in dynamics. You can reach us at contactus@enyotalearning.com or click on this form and we’ll get back to you.
