Advanced technologies are reshaping how businesses operate, from facilitating remote work to enhancing employee productivity. By understanding today’s trends, businesses can better prepare for the future of work, optimize their operations, and stay competitive in an increasingly digital world.
We’ve gathered three key takeaways and 20 technology in the workplace statistics that IT professionals need to know—whether for their own careers or to use as reference points in conversations with stakeholders.
Let’s get started.
Key Takeaways
1. Nearly all jobs across all industries require digital skills (source)
A staggering 92% of jobs today require digital skills, according to the National Skills Coalition. However, approximately 33% of employees don’t have the basic digital skills the workforce demands. This underscores the importance of digital literacy across various industries—and not only in the IT department.
Whether it’s basic computer skills, advanced programming, or data analysis, it’s increasingly important for employees to be adept in using digital tools to perform their tasks efficiently.
The growing reliance on digital technology means businesses need to invest in training and development programs to equip their workforce with the necessary skills. Companies that fail to prioritize digital literacy risk falling behind their competitors. Furthermore, as industries continue to adopt new technologies, the gap between those who are digitally proficient and those who are not will only widen, making digital skills a critical factor for career advancement and job security.
2. The percentage of American employees who work remotely full-time has dropped since the pandemic, but it’s still trending upward (source)
According to the most recent Pew Research data, only 35% of workers with jobs that can be done from home work remotely all the time. This is a decrease from 43% in January 2022 and 55% in October 2020.
This percentage is only 7% higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, when remote and hybrid work models became a necessity for many organizations.
Remote and hybrid work models offer numerous benefits, including more flexible work schedules, reduced commuting time, and a better work-life balance for employees. However, this presents security challenges for IT professionals, which we will discuss later in this article.
3. Businesses that operate remotely report higher productivity levels than businesses with traditional work models (source)
According to a recent poll, 64% of fully remote businesses report being “highly productive,” compared to 54% of businesses with fully onsite employees and 53% of businesses where employees are expected to be in the office at least two to four days per week.
Meanwhile, fully onsite businesses were also most likely to report “low productivity” at 7%, versus only 2% of fully remote teams.
For comparison, 5% of businesses that expect employees to come to the office at least two to four times per week report low productivity, as do 3% of businesses that expect employees to be in the office at least one day per week.
These findings challenge the notion that employees need to be physically present in the office to perform their best, and show how remote work can boost employee productivity and efficiency.
However, remote work is not without its challenges. For instance, maintaining a cohesive team dynamic and ensuring effective communication can be difficult when employees are dispersed. Additionally, there is a significant need for robust IT infrastructure and network management solutions to support remote work.
Workplace Technology Statistics IT Professionals Need to Know
These workplace technology statistics highlight trends in automation and artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, remote work, market size, and artificial intelligence.
Automation and AI
1. 65% of companies regularly use generative AI (source)
Businesses use AI to improve decision-making, automate repetitive tasks, and provide better customer insights. The adoption of AI is expected to grow as companies seek to leverage advanced analytics and machine learning to stay competitive.
2. Network automation is the largest area of growth for IT teams in 2024 (source)
Our IT Trends 2024: Industry Report reveals a 24% increase in the number of IT professionals who plan to invest in network automation.
3. 75% of companies plan to adopt AI technology, big data, and cloud computing in the next 5 years (source)
Digital platforms and apps are most popular, with 86% of companies planning to incorporate them. Additionally, 75% of businesses intend to adopt e-commerce and digital trade, and 81% plan to adopt education and workforce technologies. Companies are less likely to adopt power storage technologies, distributed ledger technologies, and robots.
4. 63% of employees believe AI can help them complete tasks faster (source)
This type of automation can help workplaces improve workflows to save time and increase efficiency.
5. 58% of workers use automation, and 55% are optimistic it will allow them to focus on more meaningful work (source)
With automation handling mundane, repetitive tasks, workers will be free to focus on more complex tasks. For example, chatbots can quickly answer customer queries, improving the customer experience and reducing the need for employees to answer calls. Further, 65% of workers would like a digital worker to schedule meetings for them.
6. The majority of workers are frustrated with AI’s limitations (source)
The need to manually complete some tasks frustrates 84% of workers, and 51% report being annoyed that they need to correct or approve work completed by automation technologies.
Cybersecurity
7. Phishing attacks remain the most common cause of workplace data breaches (source)
Phishing is identified as the initial attack vector in 41% of cybersecurity incidents.
8. The average cost of a data breach from phishing is $4.45 million (source)
Cyberattacks to infiltrate systems and compromise data
9. 68% of organizations experienced a cyberattack over the course of 12 months (source)
The rise in cyberattacks can be attributed to increased complexity of IT environments, widespread adoption of remote and hybrid work models, and the growing use of cloud services. These changes have expanded the attack surface, providing more opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities.
10. 59% of organizations have a cyber insurance policy or plan to get one, and 49% of survey respondents would prefer to remove privileged access management (PAM) (source)
We’ll examine strategies for preventing and mitigating the damage from cyber attacks later in this article.
11. 80% of companies have seen an increase in cyber threats since shifting to remote work (source)
This increase is primarily due to the use of personal devices and unsecured networks, which present more opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities.
Remote Work
12. Globally, nearly 68% of technology workers work fully or mostly remote (source)
This is the highest percentage of any industry, followed by 51% of agencies and consultancies, and 49% of financial services and insurance employees. This is compared to a global average of 28% across all industries, according to a January 2024 report.
13. 55% of remote employees work longer hours than their in-office colleagues (source)
This tendency to work extended hours can be attributed to the blurred lines between personal and professional life when working from home, where workplace technology is no longer left at the office at the end of the workday.
Continuous access to work devices and the inability to “clock out” can lead to dangers for employee well-being and mental health, including work exhaustion, stress, fatigue, and burnout.
Market Size and IT Budgets
14. Global IT spending will top $5 trillion in 2024 (source)
This would be an 8% increase from the previous year and positions IT spending to reach $8 trillion before 2030. This growth is fueled partly by planning for generative AI initiatives, with organizations prioritizing innovation and digital transformation to stay competitive.
Here’s the breakdown of projected spending in millions of U.S. dollars and the percentage of growth year-over-year:
- Data center systems: $259,680 (10% growth)
- Devices: $687,943 (3.6% growth)
- Software: $1,042,174 (13.9% growth)
- IT services: $1,519,928 (9.7% growth)
- Communications services: $1,551,288 (4.3% growth)
15. SaaS has the largest market share in the tech industry (source)
Software-as-a-service (SaaS) reached an estimated $197 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $232 billion for 2024, driven by workplace adoption of SaaS solutions. This is a massive increase from $157 billion in 2020.
16. 51% of European companies plan to increase their IT budgets in 2024 (source)
This rise in spending is driven by the need to enhance cybersecurity measures, improve data management capabilities, and support the ongoing shift toward remote work
Legacy and Emerging Technologies
17. 57% of employees feel restrained by legacy tech (source)
Outdated systems can hinder productivity, innovation, and overall job satisfaction as workers are unable to leverage modern tools and solutions that could streamline their tasks and enhance their performance.
18. 87% of companies use cloud services to enhance operations (source)
Cloud computing allows businesses to scale their infrastructure efficiently, support remote work collaboration tools, and reduce costs associated with on-premises IT systems.
19. 70% of companies will employ hybrid or multicloud management technologies in the next three years (source)
Hybrid and multicloud environments enable businesses to distribute workloads across multiple cloud platforms, optimizing performance and cost-efficiency.
Auvik’s network management solutions play a crucial role in monitoring and managing these complex work environments, ensuring seamless operations and minimizing downtime.
20. 44% of workers’ skills will be disrupted by technology in the next 5 years (source)
As automation, artificial intelligence, and other technological advancements continue to evolve, business leaders will need to invest in reskilling and upskilling programs to ensure their workforce remains competitive.
What These Technology in the Workplace Statistics Reveal
As the world of work continues to change due to emerging technology, adoption of hybrid and remote work models, and increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, businesses must invest in the following:
Upskilling and reskilling employees
IT employees will need to adapt to new tools and processes to meet the growing demand from AI, SaaS, and cybersecurity threats. Hiring skilled workers is the top challenge for IT teams in 2024.
You can close the talent gap by upskilling and reskilling IT employees to improve their cognitive problem-solving, analytical thinking, and technological literacy. IT teams must focus on lifelong learning and continuous skill development to manage the smooth transition to emerging technology.
Companies that invest in IT employee training and development are likely to see increased employee engagement, productivity, and innovation, helping them stay ahead in a rapidly changing technological landscape
Building a framework for adopting emerging technologies
To address issues with outdated legacy technology, businesses need to invest in modernizing their IT infrastructure. This includes upgrading hardware and software, implementing cloud-based solutions, and ensuring that employees have access to the latest tools and technologies.
For example, one of the top networking trends is the widespread adoption of cloud services, which underscores the critical role of cloud technology in modern business strategies.
Modernizing technology not only improves efficiency but also enhances employee experience, satisfaction, and retention.
Increasingly robust cybersecurity measures
Decision-makers must prioritize robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data and ensure business continuity.
Key strategies include:
- Implementing multi-factor authentication.
- Conducting regular security audits.
- Establishing network visibility, since you can’t protect what you can’t see (see our network visibility guide)
- Implementing advanced threat detection and response systems.
- Investing in employee training, such as telephone and social media best practices, as human error remains a significant factor in many security breaches.
Companies like Auvik offer solutions for network management that help monitor and secure IT infrastructure, ensuring that remote work does not compromise security.
How Auvik Can Help
The workplace technology landscape is rapidly evolving, driven by advancements in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.
Auvik offers true network visibility and control. Start a free trial or book a demo today.
