Challenges and Solutions of the IT Industry in 2024

Technological advancements shape the very foundation of the modern digital world, transforming the lives of individuals and impacting societies at large. Breaking the boundaries of innovation and the restrictions of geographical borders is another major transformation that technological breakthroughs offer businesses. Such transformations in the corporate world couldn’t be possible without major developments in the information technology (IT) or tech industry.

Over a few decades, it’s fascinating how the IT industry evolved due to major technological innovations and new developments, leading to paradigm shifts in the business sectors. Today, it’d be unthinkable if we just had to rely on mainframe computers, a technological breakthrough in the 1990s. Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and cloud computing are today’s reality of technological advancements brought about by the tech industry.

Undoubtedly, the tech industry has a good prospect for unparalleled growth in the future. As analyzed by Gartner, global spending on IT services is projected to reach USD 1.5 trillion in 2024, with an 8.7% growth rate. IT services remain a core segment in the IT industry. The global tech industry growth rate looks promising in the coming years; yet, it has several challenges to be dealt with.

Through this blog, you’ll learn the major challenges of the tech companies in 2024. And, we’ve suggested a few solutions to address the challenges of the IT industry. Also, you’ll learn more about certain business models through which you can explore your options to create business opportunities in 2024 in the IT industry.

New developments and trends in the IT industry

• Booming cloud-based services and solutions, such as Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
• Increasing adoption of AI and automation across business sectors, especially the manufacturing sector
• Wide integration of 5G technology and rapid expansion of IoT-enabled devices for fast connectivity and real-time data exchange
• Rise in the number of tech startups and small & business enterprises (SMEs) presence in the IT industry
• Significant investment growth in IT innovation and research & developments
• Wide-open opportunities to tap into tech-savvy remote workforce across the globe

The rapid proliferation of advanced technologies and innovations in the tech industry further boosts business opportunities across diverse sectors, including finance & banking, healthcare & pharmaceutical, telecom, renewable energy, education, manufacturing, and more. We’ve seen the major impact of technology developments on every industry. The rising popularity of several industry segments such as fintech and ed-tech is a key example of the growing integration of new technologies across different business sectors.   

Major challenges facing the IT industry in 2024

Technically speaking, IT companies face numerous challenges in 2024 that hamper their operational performance and productivity, becoming roadblocks to their overall business growth. We’ve listed five major challenges that every tech company must know how to address these problems.

• Better customer experience: Providing a better customer experience is a key focus and major challenge for every IT company. To meet ever-evolving customer preferences and expectations, tech companies must improve digital interaction platforms and work toward robust IT infrastructure. Improving customer experience can be possible with better interaction tools and customer services, which are user-friendly for diverse users.

• Cybersecurity issues: Data breaches due to malware attacks are a big threat to any organizational setup and preventing data breaches is a key challenge for IT firms. Businesses must set up robust encryption protocols to safeguard sensitive information and data from unauthorized accessing computer systems and networks.

• Strict regulatory compliance: Stringent regulations for data protection and privacy concerns like GDPR and industry-specific ones are major challenges for IT firms. Additionally, tech companies must comply with the existing laws regarding consumer protection, such as CCPA. Complex compliance regulations from one country to another pose a big issue that impedes the IT sector’s growth.

• Scarcity of skilled IT professionals: Needing more talent who keeps abreast of new technologies and tools remains a crucial problem in the tech industry. Finding skilled IT professionals with specialized skills in advanced technologies, like cloud computing, AI/ML, blockchain, and AR/VR is a big headache for tech companies.
• Budget constraints: Limited financial resources for innovations and technological developments is a key problem for tech companies. To address budget constraints, businesses require project prioritization, ROI assessment, and strategic planning to optimize operational costs. Strategic allocation of your financial resources is a key to sustainable business growth.

Is building remote teams still a solution for IT companies? 

The answer is ‘yes’. Building remote teams still makes sense for various tech companies aiming for cost-effective business operations. Many tech companies prefer building remote teams in foreign countries, especially developing economies due to the abundant availability of highly skilled professionals and cost-saving advantage. These are some key reasons encouraging small & medium-sized IT companies to increase their overseas market presence.

Building remote teams or hiring contractors for remote work is nothing new to the IT industry and many tech companies took advantage of working remotely even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, you may also observe how technology advancements make remote work easy for IT-related services, such as cybersecurity, cloud computing, IT consulting, and technical support.

Also, software development, IT project management, quality assurance, and quality testing are major IT-related business functions done remotely. Talking about popular skills, many tech companies often remotely hire software developers, software engineers, quality engineers, IT project managers, cloud architects, and system analysts. 

Let’s explore some major benefits of having remote teams to address various issues associated with the tech industry. 

• Hiring the best IT talent globally: IT companies can easily tap into a global talent pool and hire the best talent who can rightly fill in the skill gap. Expanding your search in different geographies means you have a better chance to build a team with specialized skills and the right talent.

• Reduced cost: Budget constraint issues can be solved when you build a team in a country with lower labor and living costs. You can substantially reduce the employment cost of the IT talent and get the job done without compromising on the quality if you hire them from developing countries like India. On average, the cost of hiring an IT engineer in India is 2.5 times lower than that of the US. 
• Easy to set up customer support centers: Setting up customer care centers is a key aspect of enhancing customer experience. Having customer support centers in a less expensive country will help you save costs and ensure a better customer experience at the same time. Additionally, you can extend service hours and provide multilingual support, taking advantage of different time zones.

Advantages of EOR services for building remote teams in India 

When we say remote team building, some services like ‘outsourcing’, ‘contracting’, and ‘subsidiary formation’ may come to your mind. Over the last two decades, IT outsourcing has been a popular option for many tech companies aiming to operate key business functions remotely. Also, India remains one of the most attractive destinations for IT outsourcing services. 

On the other hand, employer of record (EOR) is another business model that provides the most cost-effective service for team building in India. Unlike IT outsourcing services, EORs help you build a remote team in India with better control and management of your employees. Let’s explore the advantages of having remote teams in India.

Two major advantages of building remote teams in India for IT companies are as follows:

1. You can easily access and hire tech-savvy Indian talent as the country has a vast talent pool.
2. Hiring tech talent in India can be cost-saving as you can hire them at a reduced cost compared to many Western countries.

However, one major challenge you’re more likely to face when expanding a team in India is to navigate regulatory compliance. It means you must comply with the existing laws and regulations for hiring and employing remote professionals in India.

India has a complex set of employment laws and regulations and handling such legal procedures can be daunting if you’re entering the Indian market for the first time. Even for many old players, navigating Indian employment laws can be tough. 

Then, you may ask, “How do I go about it?” The answer is simple, you can use EOR as it enables you to build and operate an Indian team with zero legal complications. Let’s understand the major benefits of using EOR services when IT companies expand a team in India.

• Regulatory compliance assurance: EORs ensure that your business operates in the Indian market in compliance with the existing Indian labor laws and employment regulations. An EOR handles compliance matters related to payroll, tax withholdings, and other legal responsibilities a foreign company must comply with when operating in India. In other words, EORs shield you against compliance risks.  

• Talent acquisition: Your EOR partner helps you find the best talent from a large pool of skilled IT professionals in India. EORs have well-established networks and extensive local knowledge that can assist businesses in recruitment. They scout, screen, and shortlist the Indian candidates who can rightly fit your requirements.      

• Cost-effective operation: Partnering with an EOR, you can take advantage of cost-saving operation since you are not required to form a legal entity in India. Your EOR partner will be a local guardian of your Indian team, handling all legal requirements for your employees. This means partnering with an EOR enables you to save from upfront investment costs required in setting up a legal entity.   
• HR service supports: EORs provide a range of human resource (HR) service supports, leading to better management of your remote workforce. In addition to onboarding and offboarding, an EOR handles employee benefits like medical and insurance benefits, leave/attendance, and retirement plans of your remote employees. Simply put, better employee management means reducing turnover risks and enhancing productivity.

To sum up, you can use EOR services for various supports and advantages such as compliance assistance, talent acquisition, cost-saving, and HR functions to manage your Indian team better. By transferring all administrative responsibilities of Indian employees to your EOR partner, you can completely focus on core activities like business innovation and growth.

Check out how IT companies expand teams in India using EOR services. 

Conclusion

With the rising demand for automation and embracing digitization in the corporate world, the importance of the IT industry has become more evident. Businesses across various sectors often integrate advanced technologies to stay ahead of the competition and enhance productivity.

However, tech companies still have challenges, like a shortage of IT talent, compliance regulations, and budget constraints, which are roadblocks to their business growth. Building a remote team outside your country is a solution to address the challenges facing the tech industry. It’s due to several benefits, such as easy access to global talent, lower costs of hiring employees, and cost-saving business operations. 

India has emerged as a major destination for building remote teams due to the abundant availability of IT talent and cost-efficiency. Also, using EOR services will make your team-building and business operations in India easy as your EOR partner will handle tasks, such as compliance assurance, talent acquisition, and HR functions of your employees on your behalf.