Data driven enterprises and operations will move forward in 2023

This is a telling data point: in a recent survey, organizations that were more concerned about the effects of a possible recession were more likely to be planning bigger IT spending than those who were less concerned.

What opportunities are emerging that will move data-driven enterprises and operations forward in the year 2023?

Just 30% of companies with 'no plans' to make major preparations for a recession reported that they were getting ready to hike IT spending, in contrast to solid majorities, 68%, and 55%, for companies who were already making recession plans or plan to in the near future, respectively. Today's reality is that technology is one of if not the most powerful tools in a company's toolbox to win share, take out costs, or generate new revenue when times are tough. In 2023 we'll see those who lean into this pull away from those who haven't.

Are there emerging sentiments or trends within the developer community that you expect to become larger priorities in 2023?

Developers are by and large practical problem solvers, so I've always found it wise to pay attention when they form strong opinions. By the mid-2000s, they were sure open source would change the way software was built. By the mid-teens, they were sure cloud was the future. And now among developers, we surveyed in 2022, the top three opportunities they ranked as "very important" in their work were remote work options, using real-time data, and building AI apps. At organizations that have made a strategic commitment to using real-time data, 86 percent of developers agreed that "technology is more exciting than ever", 24 percentage points more than organizations with no real-time deployments. Simply put I think the "jury is in" among developers that apps that use data to be smart in real time are the future, they are a powerful way to solve problems or delight users, and they are exciting to work on.

How will open-source-based disruptors compete with hyperscalers like AWS?

As an open-source business, you will have a core set of customers who are strategically committed to both the project and a multicloud posture. By serving them well, and building intimacy with the project community, you will earn a pole position on how to enable developers and organizations to make the most of the technology. Then by deploying "cloud first," you open the door to a broader set of customers who intentionally lean into "best of the breed." And this is where your work really starts: because the job isn't to simply run a bunch of Apache-licensed code, it's to use the scope, scale, and depth of data this affords you to be a steward, and an innovator enabling your current and prospective users to solve more problems, in more ways, not just with "your" product, but also the whole OSS ecosystem. That clarity of mission, which no hyperscaler will ever have, is how you attract partners and employees, not just customers.

Bryan Kirschner

Bryan Kirschner is Vice President, Strategy at DataStax. For more than 20 years he has helped large organizations build and execute strategies when they are seeking new ways forward and a future materially different from their past. He specializes in removing fear, uncertainty, and doubt from strategic decision-making through empirical data and market sense. Prior to joining DataStax, Bryan was named the first Director of Open Source Strategy in the history of Microsoft and was instrumental in a task force that resulted in then-CEO Steve Ballmer's 2010 landmark speech declaring that Microsoft was "all in" on cloud computing. In 2013 he founded the Apigee Institute, bringing Apigee customers, world-class experts, and groundbreaking research together to help enterprises accelerate digital transformation. Following the company's acquisition by Google, he led research and strategy for Google Cloud Developer Relations and DevOps Platform. Bryan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Yale University and lives in Seattle, Washington.