IDG Enterprise’s Computerworld—the leading IT media brand dedicated to being the voice of business technology—highlights the 2016 tech priorities for organizations in its annual Forecast Survey. As technology continues to be a business differentiator and provide competitive advantage, tech budgets are increasing for almost half of organizations (46%). Tech leaders are focusing on business priorities that will help their organizations contain costs, optimize and automate business processes, and accelerate business processes and agility.

Spending Priorities: Security & Cloud
Two major themes within enterprise technology are the need for additional security and how cloud computing will continue to reshape enterprise IT. It is not surprising that in 2016 organizations will increase spending on security (50%), cloud computing (48%), business analytics (41%), mobile apps (36%), and virtualization (35%). As business-critical applications and infrastructure move to the cloud, on-premise software, data center modernization and modernizing/replacing legacy systems are receiving fewer dollars.

“Digital transformation continues to grow as strategic priority. Technology leaders are positioned to drive this change through strategic investments that boost organizational efficiency and a deeper focus on customer solutions and experience,” said Brian Glynn, chief revenue officer, IDG Enterprise. “We look forward to addressing the opportunities and challenges organizations face in becoming a digital business, from determining what solutions will help advance their goals and then finding the right talent to effectively carry out those initiatives, at the AGENDA16 conference next month.”

Exploring & Adopting New Technologies
As building a digital enterprise continues to grow in importance, tech leaders are exploring new technologies. Nearly one-third of organizations (29%) are planning to spend money on Internet of Things (IoT) initiatives, followed by high-performance computing (HPC – 18%), and energy-saving and carbon reducing technologies (16%). Exploring new tech solutions and strategies does not stop there, the majority of enterprise organizations are adopting strategies around agile development and DevOps. This focus has grown from 48% in 2015 to 61% in 2016.

Finding the Right Person for the Job
As technology trends advance, the promise of efficiencies is appealing; however having the right skillsets in place is vital for solutions to be fully utilized. While 37% of organizations are planning to increase headcount this year, finding employees with the necessary skillsets is proving difficult. Organizations are challenged to find employees with security, BI and analytics, cloud/SaaS, and programming/App Dev experience. These skillsets closely align with the areas receiving additional spending. Additionally, 42% are looking for employees with both a technology and business background to articulate IT’s value, showcasing that IT continues to embrace its new role as an organizational agent of change. Within organizations planning to increase head count, the most in-demand positions are IT architecture, programming/application development, project management and big data.