The 2016 State of Cloud IT Report is the culmination of five months of research and data aggregation from many sources (Gartner, PwC, Google, Microsoft, 1,500 IT professionals, etc.). Through data, the report tells the story of the shift to cloud IT, and how it’s affecting workplaces around the world. I’ve already spoken with several industry analysts who’ve said it’s the most comprehensive report on the SaaS ecosystem and market they’ve ever seen.

Work as we know it is transforming.

Today, all businesses are technology enabled, regardless of size, industry, or location. But merely using technology no longer guarantees that you remain competitive. As digital natives flood the global workforce, businesses are met with a decision: resist new norms or provide the latest technology to their employees.

We are in the midst of a technological shift not seen since the launch of Microsoft Office and the invention of the Internet. The world of IT is at a tipping point, and at the center are IT professionals experiencing once-in-a-career shifts in their roles and responsibilities. For years, IT has been mischaracterized as solely an internal support team; if something breaks, IT is there with the fix. In 2016, IT professionals are beginning to offload their routine work to cloud software and service providers, giving them more time to focus on strategic work.

The skills required to be a successful IT professional in the modern, cloud-first workplace are far different than they once were. Cloud IT is coming of age, and it’s going to affect every organization and IT professional in the world, much faster than you think.

– David Politis, Founder & CEO, BetterCloud