Top Tech Industry Trends to Watch in 2023
We’ve crunched through industry analysis and picked apart the narratives. Here are the technologies and skills that will matter most in 2023.
It’s never been a better time to be working in technology and 2023 is unlikely to disappoint! The major tech trends of 2023 will include a mix of blue-sky innovations and essential products we will be unable to live without.
But talent shortages will complicate matters for most companies. Now is the perfect time to take stock of the skills and capabilities you currently have as an individual or as an organisation, and plan your next moves wisely.
To help make sense of the forces driving the tech trends of the coming year, we’ll highlight some of the most dynamic areas in technology, based on our experiences working with leading employers and our unique market insights. Read on to discover our tech industry predictions for 2023.
Automation Ramps Up
Digital-led automation of business processes is now well and truly a mainstream practice. But organisations will need much more human capital to drive automation projects in 2023 – perhaps more than they originally assumed.
Most (91%) of IT leaders have reported a rise in automation demand from business teams over the past two years, while 80% have hyperautomation on their roadmap for the next 24 months, Salesforce research shows.
Meanwhile, 80% of tech leaders say technical debt will grow from the need to restructure existing applications and data to support automation. Project Managers, Business Analysts, Consultants and Software Developers will be critical to the success of hyperautomation projects.
Data Analytics for a Hyperconnected World
Expanding wireless networks will create record amounts of data, spurring demand for data analytics wizardry.
With the global expansion of 5G, the number of endpoint devices on networks (such as smart appliances, industrial tools and other Internet of Things sensors) will proliferate. The most important industries for IoT technology include manufacturing, transportation and logistics, retail and healthcare, along with public sector infrastructure.
We expect an ever-growing ocean of data that must be parsed and interpreted for quality monitoring, security, business intelligence and governance objectives. These missions call for data science and data analytics professionals who can build analytics tools, crunch KPIs, detect anomalies and enhance end-to-end processes.
Machine and Deep Learning to Strengthen Cybersecurity
As the cyber arms race heats up, machine learning is set to take up a special position in the cybersecurity professional’s toolkit. ML can be used to predict threats, fight off ransomware attacks and defend against algorithmic techniques used by attackers.
With bad actors already deploying algorithms to carry out attacks, more cyber teams are acquiring ML capabilities. About 72% of tech leaders have tipped ML to become prominent in cybersecurity practices in the next few years, while 20% have already added deep learning technologies into their stacks, according to a global survey of 500 CTOs by STX Next.
The global deep learning market was valued at US $2.99 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach US $68.70 billion by 2029, in part fuelled by the increase in cyberattacks, according to a Data Bridge analysis.
Cyber security professionals familiar with ML techniques, statistical methods, probability and data modelling, in addition to scripting and software design, will be able to get the most out of these ML tools. We anticipate a growing number of tech jobs combining ML and cyber skillsets in 2023 and beyond, as businesses fine-tune their tactical use of artificial intelligence to meet security aims.
Cloud Hybridisation and Migrations
Organisations are observing the speed and usability benefits of a public cloud and the security of a private or on-premises server setup, making hybrid cloud truly ascendant and one of the key tech trends of 2023.
Backups, app development and archiving are among the top use cases driving hybrid cloud adoption, Cisco’s 2022 Global Hybrid Cloud Trends research indicates. In response, more of the industry’s biggest names are rolling out hybrid and serverless offerings that give customers the best of both worlds.
Cloud migrations will also fuel demand for professionals with a solid background in cloud projects. With costs rising and more companies moving to upgrade cloud tech they implemented several years ago, migrations will continue apace, Gartner notes. Globally, the migration services market is tipped to grow to an impressive US$429 billion in 2026.
But the skills shortage within cloud disciplines will be a source of pain for organisations that need to execute their strategies. Almost 70% of business decision makers say their organisation’s IT team lacks the skills to architect or manage cloud applications, according to 2022 research by IBM. Many workers have an opportunity to grow their career by reskilling for cloud, while employers will have to ramp up their tech recruitment efforts to build the cloud expertise they need.
Summary
The tech trends of 2023 will enable companies to adopt tools that can revolutionise their operations. Companies have learned valuable lessons from the turbulence over the past few years. Now there is a renewed focus on building tech that delivers tangible improvements for everyone on a daily basis.
New career paths will open up for IT professionals willing to upskill. Many innovations already in play are also likely to see wider adoption, adding to tech jobs demand over the next 12 months.
Working with a leading tech recruitment agency will help you maximise the vast potential for business and career growth in 2023. At Hawksworth, we can help you bring your talent strategy to life and broaden your career horizons. Contact our team to get your 2023 journey started.