From Office to Home: The Remote Revolution
March 2020 dropped a massive hit on the world’s work‑life, forcing most businesses to go fully remote because of COVID‑19. Suddenly, laptops became the new cubicles and the quiet hum of office desks turned into the buzz of kitchen tables.
What the Data Tells Us
- Half the UK crew was pleasantly surprised: 49% of IT pros said their teams actually got more productive after the shift.
- Global practice: The study, a joint effort by Sectigo and Wakefield Research, surveyed 500 IT veterans across the UK, US, Canada, Germany, France, and Ireland, all from firms with 1,000‑plus staff.
- Tech was the emergency crew: Companies sprinted to patch processes, upgrade gear, and overhaul policies—all while juggling quarterly revenue.
Productivity Gains vs. Project Push‑backs
Sure, “more output” sounds great, but the flip side is a reality check: 40% of respondents—36% in the UK—had to delay revenue‑generating projects for over a month to set up the remote playbook. IT departments also put a pause on other big initiatives, revealing a hidden cost of staying online.
Regional Insights
- Top‑level IT pros lead the way: 63% of C‑Level tech managers claimed productivity shot up, compared to only 40% of mid‑level and 41% of non‑management folks.
- Future remote workforce expectations: 65% of UK IT staff expect more remote workers—49% for a modest rise, 16% for a big jump—once the world unplugs the office.
The Digital Defense Dilemma
Zoom‑battles took the headlines, but UK IT ops worry more about everyday cyber gremlins: phishing (47%) and insecure Wi‑Fi (48%) outrank the “Zoom‑bomb” scare (33%). Meanwhile, less than a third are concerned about BYOD gadgets (27%).
Authentication choices are a mixed bag:
- Identity certs: 58%
- Biometrics: 26%
- Traditional passwords: 74%
- Hardware‑token MFA: 68%
Ironically, while breaches doubled in 2019, 95% of UK responders say they’ll beef up security in the next year—over half planning to upgrade protection for data and apps.
Bottom Line
Remote work may have rattled the system and pushed projects to the sidelines, but many IT crews are stepping up. With a shift toward automation and digital identities—something Bill Holtz, Sectigo’s CEO, highlighted as the next frontier—companies are ready to keep the productivity bar high without letting cyber threats take the spotlight.
