Tech spend is booming, everyone’s still stressed

Businesses are investing more in technology than ever, as modern operations rely on cloud platforms, AI tools and increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity controls.

But if you ask most teams, running office technology hasn’t become simpler.  

It’s become harder to manage, harder to budget for, and harder to hold anyone to account when something needs fixing.

When it comes to the office technology the issue isn’t underinvestment, it’s fragmentation.

Global IT spend is heading for $6.15 trillion

In February 2026, Gartner forecast worldwide IT spending would reach $6.15 trillion, up 10.8% year-on-year.

The bill covers software and cloud tools, devices, outsourced support and connectivity.

That figure is global, but the pattern is visible at every level. Even a 5 to 50 person business now depends on cloud platforms, managed services, cybersecurity systems and reliable connectivity simply to operate day-to-day.

Global cybersecurity spending is expected to reach $240 billion in 2026

For many organisations, information security now takes a meaningful slice of overall IT spend.

According to KPMG’s Global Tech Report 2026, 57% of UK organisations plan to increase their cybersecurity budgets by more than 10% over the next year. That’s significantly higher than the global average.

But security doesn’t live in one service or product. It spans across your internet connection, your network, your devices, your cloud applications, your staff and your processes.

When those layers are managed by different suppliers, gaps tend to form at the handover points. So even as security spend increases, the risk of missed gaps increases too.

And it shows. In the same report, nearly half of UK respondents said they are hitting barriers when trying to scale cybersecurity.

The average organisation now runs on 100+ cloud applications.

Research shows that the average organisation uses over 100 SaaS applications. Yet fewer than one in three effectively manage their SaaS environment.

Over time, this leads to duplicate licences, overlapping tools, renewal dates creeping up unnoticed and access permissions that are rarely reviewed as teams change.

Individually, these are small issues. Collectively, they create cost creep, administrative overhead and unnecessary risk.

More tech. More suppliers. More meetings about tech.

Many UK mid-sized businesses rely on separate providers for connectivity, networking, managed IT, cybersecurity, cloud support and telephony, each with their own contract, billing cycle and support desk.

None of this is unusual. It’s how most environments evolve. A new tool is added to solve a problem. A new supplier is appointed when the business grows. Over time, the stack expands.

When something breaks, it’s like group chat. Everyone reads it. Nobody replies.

When something goes wrong, you waste time working out who to call.

And once you do call, the usual answer is: “That’s not us.”

The result is slower fixes, longer downtime, more internal stress, and a growing sense that IT is expensive but never fully under control.

The businesses pulling ahead are choosing coherence

Leading organisations are simplifying their tech stack. Not by reducing capability, but by reducing fragmentation.

Connectivity, networking, managed IT and cybersecurity are designed and delivered by one operator, built, run and support by an in-house team. That means one accountable partner with full visibility across the stack.  

When something needs fixing, you call one number.

When costs are reviewed, they are visible and predictable.

When security is assessed, it is measured across the entire environment, not in isolated pieces.

Technology is not slowing down

The businesses that stay competitive will not be the ones with the largest stack of tools. They will be the ones with the clearest ownership model behind them.

The real advantage is not more software, but rather fewer grey areas.