Member Article

What?s in store for UK tech sector?

In the lead up to Bdaily’s focus on the UK technology sector at the end of January, we asked a couple of industry experts for their thoughts on what the tech landscape looked like at the moment.

Paul Callaghan, founder of the Leighton Group and Barney Brown, commercial director of Workcast, both have significant experiences in the sector, so we put a few questions to them.

“The technology sector is always exciting. I’ve been involved in this business for more than twenty years and I’m still excited and often amazed at the latest developments in technology. But what is more interesting is not the technology itself but what we do with it,” says Paul.

“Someone said to me recently we now have a device which we carry around in our pockets which lets us access all the knowledge there is known to man and yet some people use it to look at videos of cats and to argue with complete strangers. I believe you should harness technology to help make our lives more enjoyable and more productive and I can’t wait for the next breakthrough in technology.”

So, what’s in store for 2013? Many industry professionals are keen to talk about cloud computing, and Paul thinks the area could define the year ahead.

He notes: “It’s really coming-of-age and I see more businesses and more individuals recognising the benefits of holding data, email and apps online.

“Devices will become smaller and cheaper as will the ability to use them in more places. I think the rollout of 4G nationally will be fantastic. Having that sort of speed and the capability to upload and download huge file sizes wherever you are will transform how and where we do business and how we live our lives.”

Barney suggests personal computing behaviour will be key to the sectors direction in 2013. He adds: “Key sectors such as Finance and Retail have already had to embrace this shift and this will become more pervasive in other sectors where our personal lives and business come into contact with each other.

“The current economic climate is also helping drive innovation through the use of technology and organisations are going to continue to look implement technology solutions to both drive efficiency and possibly even more importantly drive sales and revenue from a global market.”

And what of skills? Barney’s firm Workcast are hosting the North East Online Jobs Fair on January 31, offering a live and interactive jobs fair for the technology and creative industries.

He adds: “The tech labour market does seem to have a skill shortages in some areas both technically and geographically. It would be great to see more graduates with specific technology skills appearing into the market.

“High quality Design and Development Skills are still a high priority, although there is a growing requirement for people with hybrid skills such as marketing and digital as we see digital marketing and social media now being at the forefront of many organisations marketing strategies.”

Paul suggests it’s not all about technical skills, and points out that business nous is needed to keep the sector growing.

He adds: “We need business people, account managers, marketeers and business development staff who understand these markets and can make sure technology businesses reach their full commercial potential.”

Research published in December by jobs site Adzuna revealed salaries in the UK technology sector rose by as much as a quarter on average.

To this, Paul said: “There’s always a premium for good, talented and well qualified staff. While wages have stagnated in other industries as there are surplus staff, in this industry demand is always going to keep salaries up.

“Of course it all comes down to talent and the ability to deliver. This is an industry that pays well for those with the right skill set and the right attitude.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .