Findings are based on the views of more than 1,800 customers in the UK and Ireland, across 27 corporate and public sectors.
Produced annually, the report this year revealed organisations are now prioritising cybersecurity above all other technology areas, with 62 per cent of organisations saying that it is their focus over the next 12 months.
Adam Louca, Softcat’s chief technologist for security, said that the figure is understandable.
“More organisations are recognising the vital role cybersecurity plays in enabling their tech adoption and unlocking further opportunities for innovation,” Louca 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.”
He added that the report shows organisations understand that cybersecurity must underpin every part of digital transformation, and that investment needs to be a long-term strategy, ensuring gains are not lost as hybrid working and cloud approaches evolve.
After cybersecurity, devices is the second most cited technology investment area for the next year as organisations continue to invest in their digital workspace (46 per cent of respondents).
Softcat pointed out that in the midst of skills shortages and ‘the great resignation’, equipping staff with the right devices to work well from anywhere will deliver productivity gains and a high-quality, secure employee experience.
Hybrid infrastructure is the third most important technology investment area, with 21 per cent of customers citing datacentre and private cloud as a priority area over the next 12 months, followed by public cloud (17 per cent) and managed infrastructure and support services (16 per cent).
Cloud technologies have offered organisations scalability, flexibility and efficiency over the past few years, but modernising in the right way is key to releasing cloud investments’ true value, Softcat said.
Survey findings also show sustainability moving higher up the agenda for large and small businesses, with 19 per cent of respondents citing it as a priority this year, up from 9.6 per cent in 2021.
Richard Wyn Griffith, chief commercial officer, commented on the findings: “The past year has been one of transition and adjustment for our customers after the disruption and uncertainty of recent years.
“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 who prosper in the future.”