Cybersecurity is the main driving force for digital transformation projects, according to new research.

A survey of more than 600 IT leaders for the upcoming DTX:NOW event found that cybersecurity has shot to the top of the list of priorities as businesses seek to adapt to a surge in remote working as a result of COVID-19.

More than one-quarter of respondents (26 per cent) cited cybersecurity as the main focus for planned projects, followed by cloud (21 per cent), data analytics (15 per cent) and network infrastructure (14 per cent).

A total of 18 per cent of respondents also said that adapting culture quickly to new ways of working is the number one challenge they need to overcome in the next 12 months, followed by automation of business tasks and processes (14 per cent), and choosing the right cloud strategy (12 per cent).

The biggest barriers to delivering digital transformation projects on time and on budget reflect changing organisational dynamics that are being intensified by Covid-19, the survey found.

The most significant barrier to projects was revealed to be changing scope (29 per cent of respondents), reduced budgets (24 per cent) and changing team structure (17 per cent).
The data also indicated that digital transformation has become a priority for businesses of every size.

The majority of projects (58 per cent) underway are anticipated to come in at less than £250,000, 22 percent have a budget of over £500,000 and 10 percent a budget of over £1 million.

More than one-third (34 per cent) of IT leaders attending DTX: Now represent companies with 1-49 employees, compared to 23 per cent of attendees from companies with over 5,000 employees.

James McGough, managing director of Imago Techmedia, which organises DTX:NOW said: “Covid-19 is a catalyst for digital transformation, but it’s a leveller too. We’re hearing from IT leaders that there is a shift in which technologies businesses are investing in.

“Ensuring the vast majority of employees could work from home practically overnight has exposed issues with IT strategy, and modernising the core tech stack has become an immediate priority for just about every organisation.”

He explained that some companies might be in a position to consider the likes of AI, blockchain and quantum computing, but added: “The reality for most is that the future-looking, big ticket tech projects are on the back burner for now. Companies of every size are finding themselves restarting their digital transformation journeys.”

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