As a direct consequence of the pandemic, analysts expect "to see a significant deceleration in hardware investment, particularly during the first half of 2020, with software and IT services spending also impacted as the crisis ripples across all sectors of the economy." By the end of 2020, under a pessimistic scenario, IT spending could grow by just 1%—compared to the original forecast of over 5% growth. These forecasts are likely to be revised downward further in the coming weeks.
This reduction in tech spend will inevitably reshape technology trends and constrain organizations' ability to deploy new technologies and IT solutions. Nevertheless, examining the broader trajectory of digital trends beyond short-term pandemic barriers remains valuable. An international consulting firm's report outlines six fundamental pillars:
Ethical Tech and Trust
Leaders are actively embedding organizational values and technological ethics into their operational models. They are reevaluating how their products, services, and strategic decisions—spanning data governance, partner ecosystem development, and employee training—build long-term trust. For instance, CIOs are developing frameworks to help teams identify and navigate ethical dilemmas surrounding disruptive technologies such as AI.
Alignment Between Finance and IT
Expect closer collaboration between IT and finance leaders to establish flexible funding models for rapid innovation and agile operations. IT will require strong financial alignment to drive innovation, hedge against market disruption, and accelerate digital transformation strategies.
The Rise of Digital Twins
Organizations are finding that today's tools and infrastructure enable more detailed, dynamic simulations than ever before. Companies transitioning to bundled products and services—or moving toward as-a-service models—are increasingly leveraging digital twins. Adoption is set to expand as enterprises deploy digital twins to optimize processes, drive real-time data-informed decision-making, and design next-generation products, services, and business models.
Human Experience Platforms
Affective computing and emotional intelligence solutions are redefining user interactions with technology. By integrating AI, human-centric UX design practices, and neurological research methodologies, these platforms can interpret a user’s emotional state and contextual background to deliver tailored responses. Leveraging emotionally intelligent platforms to process emotional data at scale represents one of the most compelling business opportunities moving forward.
The Strategic Value of Enterprise Architecture
To stay competitive in markets disrupted by technological innovation, established enterprises must evolve their IT architecture frameworks and elevate the strategic role of this function. Technology architects are shifting toward end-to-end accountability for services and applications, becoming directly engaged in system operations and reliability engineering.
Horizon Next: Focus on Emerging Trends
A growing number of enterprises are looking beyond immediate tech cycles to focus on long-term technological evolution. Market leaders are establishing innovation programs that align R&D with overarching business strategies and long-term technology roadmaps. These organizations take a structured approach to scanning, testing, experimenting with, and incubating frontier macro-technologies—such as ambient experiences, exponential intelligence, and quantum computing—to drive business transformation ahead of market disruption.
Despite the surrounding uncertainty, 2020 IT solutions trends are projected to center on these six core premises.
To explore the detailed analysis behind these forecasts, you can read the full report here.