The race from old-school on-prem setups to the ultra-digital and multicloud approach has never been more real, but amid the chaos, Freshworks reckons that businesses are wasting millions on unnecessary software.
Its latest ‘State of Workplace Technology: AI in IT’ report found that UK companies are spending on average £2.7 million on software contracts each year.
This potential waste of money comes hand-in-hand with the additional management required to keep on top of IT services; almost three-quarters (71%) of IT pros said that they had more software to look after compared with the year prior.
Do we really need so much software?
According to Freshworks, British businesses could save £446,000 per year by cutting out unnecessary software.
The rose among the thorns is that IT departments are predicted to grow this year, representing job opportunities during a time of global uncertainty.
Despite a clear need to cut back on wasteful IT spend, many companies are yet to benefit from deploying the right AI tools across their workplace.
Credited for the way it can vastly improve efficiency and eliminate the need for human workers to carry out repetitive tasks, AI is now being used by nine in ten (91%) IT directors or above and is being actively encouraged by 70%.
Fewer team leads and managers, and even fewer still contributors, and using artificial intelligence, which could suggest that clearer communication from higher up could be needed in order to streamline companies.
Likewise, fewer older workers are using AI tools compared with millennials and Gen Z, which might suggest a need for relevant training.
With the emergence of new technologies, Freshworks CIO Prasad Ramakrishnan offered some advice looking forward: “Smart, simplified technology, paired with the power of AI, will do more to drive productivity and efficiency than legacy software has done in decades.”
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