Softcat shines light on customer spending priorities

Softcat has shared its insights into where customers will be spending money in the year ahead – and security tops the list.

The channel player has been tracking the investments that firms are making to support digital transformation and found that cyber security is the most common area of spending, with 62% of customers declaring that it will be their main area of focus in the next 12 months.

Adam Louca, Softcat’s chief technologist for security, said it was not surprising that protecting data and infrastructure was the top investment area.

“More organisations are recognising the vital role cyber security plays in enabling their tech adoption and unlocking further opportunities for innovation,” he said. “Rising investment levels and C-suite buy-in reflect this evolving mindset – one that is moving away from an ad-hoc reactive threat response.

“It is clear from the report’s findings that organisations understand that cyber security must underpin every part of digital transformation and investment needs to be a long-term strategy. This ensures that gains made are not lost as hybrid working and cloud approaches evolve.”

After security, the next priority area is devices, with many customers continuing to invest in their hybrid working options and digital workplaces. More employers are taking steps to ensure their staff have the right tools to support flexible working, amid skills shortage pressures.

Hybrid infrastructure is the third area that customers are looking to get involved with. Softcat’s survey found that 21% of customers viewed datacentre and private cloud as a priority area over the next 12 months, followed by public cloud (17%) and managed infrastructure and support services (16%).

There were also signs that sustainability has continued to gain importance for customers, with 19% of respondents citing it as a priority this year, up from 9.6% in 2021. 

“The past year has been one of transition and adjustment for our customers after the disruption and uncertainty of recent years,” said Richard Wyn Griffith, chief commercial officer at Softcat.   

“Today, organisations are focused on switching off ‘emergency’ digital transformation mode and turning on smarter digital transformation, setting a clear and concise roadmap for the deployment of new technologies. This will help them to remain agile in the face of new headwinds – from rising inflation to skills shortages and supply chain delays – as well as taking positive action towards our shared sustainability goals.  

“One thing is certain – it will be the digitally mature businesses that prosper in the future.”