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UK tech firms are being incorporated at an increasingly fast rate, with 38,000 established in 2021. This is a 62% increase on the year before, which bodes well for enterprise solutions jobs over the coming year. London remains a central hub for all things tech and the highest number of incorporations was in the Capital last year. However, regional growth has also been strong and the West Midlands has been performing especially well with an increase of 61% incorporations over the past 12 months. The North East is not far behind with 59% more incorporations and Northern Ireland has seen a 44% rise. This unprecedented level of tech company incorporations shows just how much of a hub the UK has become for innovators in this field. This is partly due to the impact of the pandemic, during which many more businesses were forced to embrace technology more extensively, and also the development of infrastructure and systems in recent years.

Teesside is set to become a new tech hub in the UK thanks to the multi-million-pound digital facility that has been opened at Middlesbrough College. The centre was officially opened back in April by Microsoft's former Chief Envisioning Officer who said that it would be a transformative resource for people all over the region, whether they are new learners, industry experts or businesses looking to acquire new skills. The facility is cutting edge and is part of the bid that Middlesbrough college made to deliver pioneering new technology qualifications, which has been approved by the government. The new qualifications will be called 'T-Levels' and will be supported by the latest in educational resources, from cyber labs and video editing suites to a games design suite and a comprehensive TV studio. The ethos behind the new centre is to encourage collaboration 'between humans and machines' and the idea that anyone should be able to access technology and training.

The crisis response of the past two years may have slowed slightly in 2022. However, this is no time for organisations to stop investing in tech transformation. Implementing advantageous technology and going further in terms of strategy and vision, are vital right now. What follows are some of the key transformation trends that many tech enterprises are going to be focused on to make that happen this year. Enterprise tech is going to be playing a game of catch up with consumer tech in 2022 - out of date systems and hard-to-use software will be out this year in favour of enterprise solutions that have a more seamless feel. In addition, the time saving and process streamlining advantages of voice automation will become a clear choice for businesses, especially as many younger generations join the workforce. Plus, we are going to see increasing trends around digital twin technology and more firms embracing the true potential of the hybrid cloud.

SysGroup is a managed IT services provider based in Liverpool, UK. The company has sought to enhance not just its geographic reach in the UK, but also the range of technical services it can offer, through acquisition. In April 2022, SysGroup announced the acquisition of Truststream Security Solutions, which is an Edinburgh-based cyber security firm. The deal is thought to be worth up to £8.5 million, including initial cash consideration of £4.8 million, and will be funded by a combination of existing cash resources and a revolving credit facility. In making the acquisition, SysGroup intends to expand its existing service offering from threat analysis to incident and detection response. It will also give SysGroup considerably more reach in terms of geography, as the company to be acquired is based in Scotland. This isn't the first acquisition that the firm has made in recent times, as it has already bought independent financial services group Zeus, which is based in Manchester.

If there is one sector that has benefited from changes to working life during the pandemic it is cyber security recruitment. Cyber-attacks have increased in volume thanks to the vulnerabilities created by different working patterns and more flexible working habits have created new challenges when it comes to keeping systems secure. Firms all over the UK have been hit with an increased demand for cyber security recruitment in order to help ensure that their data and systems are protected. The UK Government's 2021 Cyber Security Breaches Survey identified that, not only was there an increase in cybercrime during the past year, but also a drop in preparedness. From getting access to the latest technology, to seeking advice on the right hardware and finding the best security software options, a whole range of needs now exist when it comes to the demands that businesses place on cyber security talent, whether internal or external.

A new strategy has been announced by QPR software, indicating that the business is going to be increasingly focused on supporting growth via an ever more refined focus. Rapid expansion of the process mining market is going to be at the heart of new strategic investments at QPR Software, with a particular focus on the international process mining SaaS business. The company is also looking to start creating new strategic partnerships with the intention that these will considerably extend the existing offering. QPR Software has set some ambitious goals for the coming two years, aiming to double the annual recurring SaaS revenues that it receives from process mining. The move will not come as a surprise to those who understand the value of the process mining market. In 2021 it was worth EUR500 million globally and growth of up to 50% is forecast for 2022. Related consulting and services also constitute a sizable additional market that is also incredibly valuable.

Recent UK government data has revealed that the British tech sector is a success story, with considerable growth experienced over the past year. That's especially so for the cyber security sector, which is growing at a substantial rate. Figures from the Department for Digital, Culture, Music and Sport's Annual Cyber Sector Report reveal that around 1,800 cyber security firms in the UK generated more than £10 billion in revenue across the most recent financial year. Overall, the sector contributed more than £5 billion to the UK economy and the spike in revenues represented a 14% increase on the year before. The 2021 figures are not just impressive for the year but are also a record as they represent the largest increase since the government reporting began in 2018. Employment in the industry followed a similar trajectory, with an increase of 13% and 6,000+ new job opportunities created. As a result, there are now more than 52,000 people working in the UK's cyber security sector.

Big data is a fast-expanding market wherever you are in the world and this is being driven by significant increases in data volumes. Thanks to this spike, the forecasts for the size of the big data market are impressive, with an increase to US$273 billion predicted by 2026 (up from US$162 billion in 2021). Key to this has been the rise in big data adoption across virtually every industry, as organisations in sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, retail and life sciences look to take advantage of the opportunities this presents when it comes to innovation and development. This is creating a range of new opportunities for enterprise solutions, as organisations across all industries seek to take steps, and make investments, that will provide firmer foundations for operational efficiency and growth. This is only likely to increase as the trend in big data expands across emerging countries, including India and China.

Cyber security remains at the top of the agenda for many organisations today, as the threat landscape continues to evolve and change. Now Darktrace has announced that a European media giant has expanded its use of the self-learning AI provided by Darktrace in order to better protect its operations. The media company is one of the largest conglomerates, serving tens of millions of consumers and businesses all over Europe.

Colt Data Centre Services recently announced that it was refining its portfolio to focus more on hyperscale and large enterprise strategy. And, following on from the sale of 12 of its colocation sites in 2021, the provider has now revealed that it has bought up a number of sites to be used as greenfield hyperscale data centres in locations across Europe, including in London and Paris.