Industry News: January 25-29 – IT Spending’s Promising Outlook, Azure Growth Fuels Microsoft, Cybersecurity Investments Remain a Priority     

Every week we highlight cloud computing and technology news of interest. This week we’re covering Gartner’s forecast for 2021 IT spending, Microsoft’s Q2 sees Azure revenue growth, IT demand leads to higher salaries, SAP and Microsoft expand their partnership, and cybersecurity investments are on the rise.

Let’s get started…

As businesses around the world look to increase their IT investments, Gartner is predicting a spending surge. The research firm is forecasting that worldwide IT spending will grow to $3.92 trillion in 2021, that’s up six percent from last year. CRN explains the role COVID-19 has played in IT spending and which areas will see the most growth here.

For Microsoft, Q2 was all about Azure. The quarter, which ended in December for the tech giant, saw Azure revenue growth up 50% shattering expectations. What’s behind the strong results? ZDnet breaks down what Microsoft’s CEO is saying here.

Higher IT demand in 2021 could mean higher salaries for incoming employees this year. According to a new salary guide, six-figure salaries have become the average in IT. And along with salaries, demand is growing with cloud engineers among the most sought-after professionals. Read more about technology hiring trends in CIO Dive here.

SAP and Microsoft are expanding their partnership starting this summer when Microsoft Teams will begin to appear natively in SAP’s core line of business applications. In addition to the announcement, Microsoft and SAP are expanding an initiative intended to simplify cloud migrations. Learn more about what they are planning to offer in Channel Futures here.

Cybersecurity investments are likely on the rise, but by just how much? A new forecast predicts that worldwide investment in cybersecurity will increase 10% in 2021 as new threats emerge and information security remains top of mind for organizations. Dive into which segments of cybersecurity might see the most growth in Help Net Security here.

As cyberthreats grow, it’s more important than ever for organizations to understand the importance of security – especially when it comes to protecting data and assets in the cloud. Navisite’s new eBook walks you through security areas to consider and their impact on cloud security, as well as steps you can take to protect your business and mitigate risk. Download “Shared Responsibility for Cloud Security” here.