More than half (54%) of SMEs in Ireland say the climate change agenda is more important than or equal to price when it comes to IT purchasing decisions.
A study by technology solutions provider Datapac found that only 15% of of Irish SMEs said that impact on the environment is not a key deciding factor when making technology purchasing decisions.
The survey of 150 SME business owners in Ireland was carried out by Censuswide in association with Datapac and cybersecurity and backup specialist, Datto.
“The climate change agenda is something which ultimately affects all aspects of an organisation’s operations”
In relation to IT budgets for this year, over half (51%) of those surveyed said their IT budgets are increasing, with 35% of budgets remaining the same and 14% set to decrease.
Charting a greener course
“The climate change agenda is something which ultimately affects all aspects of an organisation’s operations,” explained Karen O’Connor, general manager of Enniscorthy-based Datapac.
“To meaningfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions, organisations must holistically examine all fundamental processes, including IT, to best chart a course for a greener tomorrow.
“The past two years have seen widescale digital transformations as organisations adapted to better face new challenges. 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.”
With most workplaces open again, the survey found that 40% of SMB owners intend to continue to offer remote or hybrid working despite the immediate necessity of the pandemic having passed.
Data theft is on the rise
Securing critical data can be a challenge for many within the context of these new ways of working, with a further 38% believing that remote and hybrid working has made it more difficult to secure critical data.
“We have seen rapid digital adoption in organisations across the board over the last two years,” said Nicholas O’ Donovan, Sales Manager, Datto Ireland.
“At the start of the pandemic, many organisations were forced to enact changes under very tight time constraints and may not have had the opportunity to fully consider the security ramifications of such a shift or to seek expert assistance to guide their transformation.
“Threat detection and response capabilities remain key, yet the fact remains that the best recourse in the likely event of data theft is having the capacity to quickly restore operational data from a recent and uncompromised backup.”
Main image: Karen O’Connor, General Manager, Datapac
