Note that we identify IT Support as a top growth ‘area’ rather than ‘industry’ – there is a subtle difference, and growth is measured in different ways: Revenue, workforce increases, and proliferation of new businesses opening, among others.

While many researchers predict the growth of various Industries in 2021, it is the essential yet peripheral aspects of business that show the IT Support and Services industry is among the top areas seeing the most investment from CEOs worldwide. Small wonder, considering how crucial IT services
were and continue to be as the world transitioned to a tenfold increase in end users working remotely – a good percentage of whom will not be coming back to the physical office. Circumstance have created a new HR (another high-growth area) model – and do not expect it to change back anytime soon.

Here in the IT Support Los Angeles Community we have seen many changes since the onset Of COVID – it has been ‘survival of the fittest’, wherein marginal, less competent ‘players’ have gone under. We have had a slew of applications here at IT Support LA and have seen many people unqualified to hold themselves out as ANY kind of IT Service provider. It may seem heartless, but the industry is better off without them.

Which sectors will boom in 2021?

As we emerge from the devastation of the COVID-19 Pandemic, we take stock of a world where ruination has struck many industries. Local, small consumer-based industries like restaurants and mom-and-pop retailers have seen thousands go by the wayside - never to reopen, and those that survived face a dire workforce shortage. In the bigger picture, the ‘usual suspects’ continue to grow: Health Care, Transportation, Technology, etc.

According to IBISWorld, the global Top 10 Fastest Growing Industries in terms of revenue percentage increase alone, might surprise the casual observer – Health Care and Managed IT Services did not make that cut. Interestingly, they predict Heavy-Duty Truck Manufacturing as the #1 Fastest Growing Industry – who knew?

What job industries are growing?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the occupation offering the greatest projected growth rate from 2019 to 2029 is Forestry, so if you’re looking to get back to nature, this may be the time. IT Support and Services, which they label ‘Computer Systems Design and Related Services’ comes in 7th, below Personal Services, Mining Support and several health care related fields.

LinkedIn researchers analyzed and compared data reflecting job listings seeking expertise in various fields, and found that several of the top areas experiencing the best growth potential for new applicants are Data Science - which as a broad term encompasses a diverse palette of specializations, from data analysis to IT Support, with an emphasis on cloud-based operations, Software Development, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Design. The entire gamut of specializations representing the overall Technology Industry continues to grow at an impressively expanding rate.

What is the fastest growing area in information technology?

The #1 single growth area within the IT services arena itself, is Cybersecurity, or specifically ‘Information Security Analyst’. This stands to reason, with the ever-increasing proliferation of Ransomware and other cyber-attacks, which grew rapidly and exponentially over the last year.

Data, both professional and personal, is the most valued commodity in the world – how do you think that a ‘free to users’ platform like facebook enabled Mark Zuckerberg to amass a net worth of $122 Billion dollars? For a rude awakening to the situation, watch the disturbing documentary ‘The Social Dilemma’, wherein many former ‘Big Tech’ architects spill some dirty little secrets.

The flood of data throughout cyberspace is like blood in the water to cyber-sharks, and as they keep chasing it, Cybersecurity must develop new ways to defeat them. This battle will never, ever stop, at least not by using any technologies available now, and constant Cyber-Warrior replacement troops are needed. It is an eternal game of ‘Whack-a-Mole’. It is a never-ending episode of The Roadrunner, and if you use inferior IT consulting services, you can expect Wile E. Coyote to win.

How is the IT industry changing?

The changes taking place are mostly not brand new, but the Pandemic has pushed some areas faster along than their previous trajectory indicated. We at IT Support LA have always offered and recommended cloud services for data backups at a minimum, and peripheral programs such as email, and strongly urge our clients to base their entire network operation in the cloud. With the COVID restrictions of 2020, we saw an incredible leap into the cloud as the accessibility and security requirements of a large remote workforce illuminated the cloud as the easiest and most reliable solution.

Historically, any company’s Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) - the ‘bean counters’ have had an uneasy relationship with those urging investment in new technologies, whether from an internal IT Department or with any model of outsourced IT support, especially if they are still using the outdated ‘Break & Fix’ (B&F) hourly rate IT model. Once a CFO has seen the overall cost savings of going with a top-notch Managed Services Provider, it makes them much more amenable to technological change, because much of it is already included in their monthly subscription fee, BUT: at first glance, the jump of placing all operations in the cloud was prohibitive.

Let’s shine a light on the ‘unseen’ and occasionally intangible cost benefits of working completely within the cloud, especially on these two main areas:

  1. No more massive capital expenses for upgrading physical hardware every few years - with the cloud, the computers are simply terminals, not self-contained housing for programs and storage, therefore much cheaper to replace as they age.
  2. Increased productivity is a bit more nebulous, but with the User Interfaces (UIs) inherent in cloud programs, an inordinate amount of time is saved by not continuously opening and closing different apps throughout the day. Programs you used to find and open are just there – ready to go, and cloud programs do not bog down a computer by taxing its Hard Drive and RAM (Random Access Memory) limitations.

One doesn’t need to be brave to enjoy and profit from this Brave New World.