It was found that domestic IT decision-makers, unlike global IT decision-makers who actively pursue business expansion, are relatively more focused on maintaining the status quo.

Equinix, a global digital infrastructure provider, announced its annual 2022 Global Tech Trend Survey on the 31st.

Companies around the world are striving to expand their businesses based on large-scale investments in digital technology due to COVID-19. However, according to the results of an annual survey conducted by Equinix targeting IT decision-makers, domestic IT decision-makers consider 'cost reduction' rather than business expansion as their top priority for the future.

According to the '2022 Global Technology Trends Survey' conducted on 2,900 IT decision-makers worldwide, 72% of global IT decision-makers said they plan to expand their business to new cities (31%), new countries (33%), or entirely new regions (38%) within the next 12 months.

On the other hand, only 55% of South Korean IT decision-makers plan to expand their business within the next 12 months.

Nevertheless, domestic IT decision-makers expanded IT budgets to maintain corporate competitiveness even amidst the COVID-19 situation.

48% of domestic respondents answered that they are accelerating their company's digital transformation due to the COVID-19 situation.

In addition, about 40% of respondents stated that their IT budget increased due to the existing IT environment, confirming that companies need digital infrastructure capable of responding quickly to changing business requirements.

In addition, a majority of respondents (54%) answered that investment and development in technology implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic would continue.

“The 2022 Global Technology Trends Survey shows that domestic companies are expanding their IT budgets to maintain competitiveness. “Domestic companies are prioritizing cost reduction and data protection compliance for business success,” he said. “As companies embark on a digital transformation journey for success in today’s digital world, Equinix is doing its utmost to support customers and partners in securing every business opportunity.”

Meanwhile, according to the survey results, when asked about the priorities for preparing for the future, domestic IT decision-makers cited cost reduction (73%), compliance with data protection regulations (71%), and improvement of customer satisfaction (70%) as the top priorities for technology strategy.

On the other hand, global IT decision-makers answered that 'improving cybersecurity (85%)' is the top priority for successful business operations.

When asked about the factors hindering business success, domestic IT decision-makers cited 'security breaches and data leaks (67%)' as the biggest threat. Apart from cybersecurity, domestic IT decision-makers identified 'a shortage of IT talent (65%)' and 'changes in regulatory requirements surrounding data privacy (62%)' as factors that could impede future business success.