7 ways COVID-19 has changed IT forever

COVID-19 struck IT like a tsunami in early 2020, sweeping away long-established operations and processes, forcing CIOs to quickly identify and deploy acceptable alternatives. Now, as the virus threat appears to be gradually receding, IT leaders are viewing a radically transformed landscape, wondering how essential operations and practices will fit into a “new normal” business world.

The pandemic reshaped enterprises in an almost endless number of ways. IT, too, has felt the impact, leaving CIOs to wonder how their departments will cope with and function in a post-virus world. With basic changes already appearing, here’s a look at seven ways that COVID-19 has permanently transformed IT.

1. Agility is now a necessity

COVID-19’s sudden and unexpected arrival shook enterprises to the core, forcing many to search for alternatives to long-established business operations.

“Agility quickly became the highest priority, as … well understood consumer behavior and fixed distribution chains failed,” says Andy Mutz, head of engineering, new ventures and technologies at enterprise software developer SAP. “Companies needed to embrace and adapt to a fully unified online/offline world, valuing resilience over pure cost, and IT agility became indispensable.”