Karen O'Connor. Image: Datapac
A survey co-commissioned by Irish IT services company Datapac found that SMEs in Ireland are mostly increasing their IT budgets.
Climate is becoming as important as cost for Irish SMEs when it comes to buying IT.
That’s according to a survey carried out by Censuswide in 2022. It was commissioned by Irish IT services company Datapac and cybersecurity company Datto. The research encompassed 150 business owners in Ireland.
The survey revealed that more than half (54pc) of respondents placed climate of equal importance to price, with just 15pc of Irish SMEs surveyed saying that impact on the environment was not a key deciding factor in their technology purchasing decisions.
Datapac announced the results of the research ahead of World Environment Day, which falls this Sunday (5 June).
Commenting on the survey findings, Karen O’Connor, general manager of Datapac, said: “The climate change agenda is something which ultimately affects all aspects of an organisation’s operations. To meaningfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions, organisations must holistically examine all fundamental processes, including IT, to best chart a course for a greener tomorrow.”
In relation to IT budgets for this year, 51pc of those surveyed said their IT budgets are increasing. More than a third (35pc) of budgets are to remain the same, with just 14pc set to decrease.
The survey also asked about business owners’ intentions to continue offering remote or hybrid working. 40pc said they would continue to offer remote or hybrid working despite pandemic health restrictions having passed.
More than one third (38pc) of respondents said remote working has made it more difficult to secure critical data.
“The past two years have seen wide-scale digital transformations as organisations adapted to better face new challenges,” said O’Connor.
“As organisations have witnessed first-hand the value added through enhanced flexibility and productivity, trends indicate that IT investment will remain high. When strategically examining one’s IT position, it is important to fully consider how IT investment can enhance organisational processes, rather than just focusing on point-solutions to solve individual challenges.
“As we emerge from the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, organisations need to seize the opportunity to fully re-assess and strengthen their IT and security infrastructures and strategically plan how their IT can best support a greener, more sustainable hybrid future.”
In March of this year, Datapac and Datto carried out a survey which suggested that 90,000 Irish SMEs had data stolen over the past year. The findings of that survey were published to coincide with World Backup Day (31 March).
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