Why Virgin Small 1-20 people Medium Business 20-250 people Enterprise Business 250+ people Public Sector Wholesale Help & Advice Covid-19: What does the UK’s road to rebound look like? 67% of public sector leaders feel confident their sector can recover in the wake of Covid-19. 53% of private sector leaders feel the same. While the UK is not yet clear of this crisis by any stretch, the above figures do tell a simple, encouraging story: Things can, and will, get better. When the UK entered lockdown in March, it sent shockwaves through our economy and public services. Business as usual ground to a halt and survival plans kicked into action. Now, as we find ways to manage in the long-term, one thing is clear: this pandemic has shifted our behaviours and priorities for a long time to come. Perhaps forever. To fully understand that impact and all the new challenges and needs fuelled by this crisis, we’ve been speaking with c-suite executive all over the UK, including some of our own customers.[1] We’ve been asking them what their priorities are, how IT and digital investment will help them recover, and how it will benefit their employees and the customers and citizens who use their services. As expected, the level of preparedness across different organisations and sectors is incredibly varied. The construction industry and the NHS, for example, were most prepared to deal with the challenges created by Covid-19, while retail and education have been hardest hit due to strict lockdown measures impacting their operations. 1 Source: VMB conversations with 127 customers and Global Data survey (230 c-level leaders within UK enterprise and public sector) How prepared was your business to deal with Covid-19? But what about today? As we become more familiar with our changing world, how well placed is each sector to recover? And where should their focus be? Let’s take a closer look… Covid-19 recovery outlook per sector The UK economy shrank 20.4% between April and June, plunging the country into a recession for the first time in 11 years. Companies will feel the pinch in the short-term due to increased taxes, low consumer spend and tough budgetary decisions. Our front-line public services will also remain under strain as the country faces the reality of a second wave and a shortfall of funds. Our research shows that different sectors will recover at their own pace, with some capable of rebounding much quicker than others. Healthcare Construction Education Retail Local government Police and criminal justice system What does this mean for technology investment? The pandemic has pressed the fast-forward button on many technological trends that had already started or were being planned for: remote working, virtual contact centres and cloud adoption, to name a few. From our own experience during Covid-19, we’ve been working closely with customers to deliver digital transformation projects in weeks, even days, that would previously have taken months or years. From enabling GPs to deliver virtual consultations to call centres routing customers through to people’s homes, we’ve witnessed rapid changes that have impacted thousands of people nationwide. But as organisations move on from a period of stabilising and responding to the crisis, they’ll need to identify where investment will deliver against their objectives. This is happening right now. Half our customers have increased their IT budgets as a result of Covid-19. And half of public sector organisations we surveyed are already working on plans to deliver more services digitally as they move towards rebound post-pandemic. The priorities for tech investment will be providing reliable services and meeting the demand for more effective, secure and streamlined services. There will likely be a realisation that cloud is the route to achieving those things, which will drive more cloud adoption and a need for greater understanding. Customer priorities post Covid-19 Covid has increased the importance of pre-existing tech trends and reignited a focus on infrastruture as many of the organisations felt the pain of changes in demand. While everyone has their own opinions on working from home, many people have benefited from it due to increased work-life balance and reduced travel costs. But are organisations really planning to make it the ‘new normal’? For the majority, the answer is yes. 63% of all public sector customers we surveyed said they will continue flexible working practices. 55% of enterprise customers said the same. When lockdown began, many organisations made fast, temporary decisions on implementing and upgrading technology. Understandably, there was a focus on short-term fixes to respond and adapt to the crisis. Now those organisations are looking at how they can make those technologies and processes work better in the long-term. Especially since government advice has reverted to “work from home if possible.” More than ever, there will be a renewed focus on driving value, whether that’s through improving return on investment and flexibility, ensuring security as standard or driving positive change in employees and for customers and citizens. Continued focus on collaboration and conferencing Security expected as standard Re-evaluation of IT decisions made during pandemic Non-essential tech is likely to be sidelined Rebound: realisation that cloud is the way forward The road to rebound The road to rebound will be long and difficult for many. But the way organisations have adapted to new ways of working during the pandemic shows what all of us can achieve. The second wave has led the nation to prepare for another period of instability and further economic uncertainty. But once we emerge into a post-Covid world, a renewed focus on investment in digital transformations will drive performance and value in the long run. New ways of working Collaboration No1.Spend Formalisation MS Teams Security Major concern Cyber attacks VPN suitability Cloud adoption Acceleration Economic uncertainty Understanding Home connectivity Reliability Capacity Security Increased value Flexibility ROI Social value Whatever comes next, we’re confident in the resilience of our UK customers. We know that: 1. UK plc and the public sector largely been able to weather the storm of Covid-19, and through rapid improvements in technology and infrastructure many organisations are now better prepared to rebound. 2. Investing in the right IT and digital solutions has never been so important. They will play a vital role in helping organisations grow and deliver better outcomes for their workforce and those who use their services – pandemic or no pandemic. So how do we improve the everyday for businesses and organisations? By moving from evolutions to revolutions. 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