From AI and talent shortages to tightening compliance regulations, U.S. businesses face increasing complexity in IT operations. This is causing enterprises across industries to reconsider their IT support, especially when it comes to lifecycle management and asset disposal.
One of the primary changes emerging from such pressures is the increasing move towards outsourcing professional IT services. These include staff augmentation, infrastructure support, Data Center relocations and asset disposal, to name just a few.
In this article, we will delve into:
- The key drivers pushing businesses to shake up their IT support
- The new service models prioritizing agility and cost-effectiveness
- What this means for the future of enterprise IT
Which industry challenges are causing a shift in IT support?
Businesses of all sizes are feeling the combined pressure of several factors, from supply chain disruptions to decentralization. Here are some of the top drivers forcing enterprises to adapt their tech strategies:
IT talent shortages
The shortage of skilled IT staff is well-documented and only set to grow. In 2024, the International Data Corporation (IDC) reported that nearly two thirds of North American IT leaders surveyed said “a lack of skills has resulted in missed revenue growth objectives, quality problems, and a decline in customer satisfaction”. More recently, Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) found that 73% of employers in the IT industry noted talent shortages.
IDC’s report also predicts that by 2026, “more than 90% of organizations worldwide will feel the pain of the IT skills crisis, amounting to some $5.5 trillion in losses”. There are various causes for such a skills gap. The rapid development of technology means it is difficult to keep up, while employees can complain that training courses are:
- Too long
- Limited in learning options
- Lacking alignment between skills and career goals
A lack of internal IT experts is driving businesses to outsource their infrastructure maintenance and management.
Tariffs and supply chain delays
Geopolitical changes and tensions can seriously influence industries across the spectrum. Recent import tariffs imposed by the US government are resulting in:
- Significant price increases for several metals and rare earth elements
- Slower and more expensive production and support
Effective April 2025, the US introduced a 10% universal baseline tariff on all imports. Meanwhile, country-specific reciprocal tariffs and sector-specific levies mean increased rates for certain materials and imports from countries such as China. According to Tech Target, there is now a:
- 25% tax on steel and aluminum
- 50% tariff on copper
While there are exemptions for semiconductors and consumer hardware, many IT products will still be affected. Apple recently made steps to diversify its supply chain as a result of US-China trade tensions, planning to move 15-20% of its tech production to India and Vietnam by 2026. SupplyChainBrain reported a “10% increase in lead times for some [Apple] products in late 2024” due to supply chain bottlenecks in Vietnam.
Supply chain disruptions and price hikes are pushing enterprises to move towards maintenance-first IT strategies, saving costs and delays.
AI and data expansion
The rise of artificial intelligence is affecting businesses in every aspect from manufacturing to administration and communications. It is also powering a significant shift towards edge computing, with the global edge data center market “expected to cross US$300bn by 2026”.
AI is famously replacing many job positions across sectors. However, the consequent boom in edge data centers means that companies are increasingly looking for flexible support that can accommodate remote locations and data center moves.
Meanwhile, data expansion means businesses are feeling the pressure to be able to quickly and seamlessly scale up their IT infrastructures in response.
Compliance stress
Regulations regarding environmental responsibility and data security are becoming more stringent across the world. In the US alone, businesses must adhere to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the California Consumer Privacy Act, which mandate the strict protection of personally identifiable information of patients and consumers.
Meanwhile, US businesses also have to follow the EU’s GDPR regulations under certain circumstances. These can include US companies which:
- Offer goods or services to EU residents
- Have branches in the EU
- Tracking web visitors from the EU
These mandates make secure, certified data erasure a vital part of decommissioning or reselling enterprise IT equipment.
On the other side, corporate sustainability expectations are rising as consumers and investors expect real, measurable action from businesses to mitigate their environmental footprints. Responsible IT asset disposition and recycling are therefore becoming popular solutions to avoid generating e-waste, of which the US is the world’s second-largest producer.
Remote work and decentralized teams
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics clearly shows a growth in remote work across industries since the pandemic, demonstrating an 11.8% average increase in remote workers between 2019 and 2022. The growing popularity of remote work and teams scattered across states, regions or continents is radically affecting businesses’ IT support needs. We are seeing more demand for:
- Smart Hands and remote execution of IT issues
- Support companies with multi-state or even international reach
Flexible IT services that offer both virtual assistance and boots on the ground across the US and further are more relevant than ever.
Where are the pressure points?
The factors above impact businesses across multiple areas — from supply chains and support to technology refresh cycles. Together, they are creating several common challenges and shaping similar needs across data center infrastructures:
| Where is the challenge? | What is the problem? | What are the needs? |
|---|---|---|
| Lifecycle Management | Hardware refreshment is increasingly expensive, as well as risking extended downtime due to supply chain issues. | Lifecycle extension of older IT hardware without sacrificing performance or security. |
| Hardware and data disposal | Strict environmental and data protection standards. Non-compliance risks, fines, legal action and operational bans. | ESG-aligned, audit-proof disposal of unwanted assets. These are especially critical in regulated industries. |
| Scaling and relocating | Adjusting to evolving demand and a changing tech landscape with minimal disruption to business. | The ability to efficiently add, remove, move and deploy IT equipment. |
| IT support in remote settings | Providing quick and effective support for satellite teams and retail sites nationally and internationally. | Remote and presential support options for diverse locations, as well as wireless networks for flexible work. |
How are U.S. businesses reacting to industry change?
Forward-thinking businesses across the United States are adapting to these challenges in several ways, always ensuring to maximize their IT systems’:
- Performance
- Flexibility
- Security
- Sustainability
Outsourcing hands-on tasks
Enterprises are looking to external service providers to fill in the gaps left by issues such as talent shortages. Gartner’s Research Vice President and Distinguished Analyst, John-David Lovelock, predicts that by 2027 “50% more will be spent on IT contractors compared with internal IT staff, driven by the CIO’s inability to retain higher-skilled staff” across most industries.
These outsourced tasks include:
- Infrastructure maintenance
- Part replacements
- Data center IMAC (Install, Move, Add, Change) and relocations
- Virtual and presential troubleshooting
- Lifecycle management from deployment to decommissioning
- Smart hands and staff augmentation for short-term IT projects
Shifting from vendor-specific to multi-vendor global providers
Data centers are no longer single vendor. As IT infrastructures become more complex and business more international in scope, companies need technical support which reflects this.
Modern data centers consist of components from several manufacturers, making single-vendor support increasingly outdated. Moving to multi-vendor maintenance allows businesses the following benefits:
- Centralized support: A single point of contact for all hardware and systems, eliminating the need to manage multiple service contracts. This reduces:
o Costs
o Administrative burden - Improved system oversight: Unified support enhances communication and coordination across the entire IT environment.
- Faster issue resolution: One team can handle diverse components. This minimizes delays and maximizes uptime.
Seeking consistent, customized service agreements across geographies
Large-scale and international enterprises often operate across multiple time zones, states, and territories. Many are also moving toward edge data centers to improve technical performance and efficiency. This makes reliable, high-quality IT support critical, whether the location is a central hub or remote branch. Businesses also require a blend of virtual and presential support services, such as Smart Hands.
Businesses are increasingly seeking customized service-level agreements which:
- Align with their specific operational needs
- Avoid overpaying for standardized, one-size-fits-all contracts
Demanding compliance-focused asset tracking
Demonstrating compliance is critical for audits and CSR reporting, making transparency a top priority when choosing IT partners. This is especially crucial in the asset disposal process.
More companies are now working with certified ITAD providers like Evernex to ensure:
- Documented chains of custody
- ISO certifications reflecting professional excellence and compliance
- Certificates of data destruction and responsible hardware disposition
Focusing on sustainability as a procurement requirement
Environmental responsibility has shifted from a nice-to-have to a prerequisite for future-ready companies.
In terms of IT support, this is reflected in an emphasis on:
- Supporting the circular economy
- IT recycling through ITAD, including
o Reconditioning parts for resale
o Recycling metals, plastics and rare earth metals - Refurbished components for infrastructure lifecycle extension
- Non-destructive disposition of materials, avoiding landfill and incineration
- Delaying hardware refreshes by optimizing the lifespans of functional equipment, reducing the need for manufacturing and resource extraction
These moves, which cover IT procurement, support and disposal, promote a sustainable future and can even improve an enterprise’s overall reputation.
The way forward for IT support
As technology, geopolitical dynamics, and working conditions evolve in the U.S. and abroad, enterprises will continue adapting their strategies to strengthen IT support, while:
- Maximizing performance
- Saving costs
- Reducing their environmental footprint
Businesses can achieve all these goals by outsourcing their technical needs to IT service providers such as Evernex. A unified, global partner provides a single point of contact to deliver consistent, expert support on an international scale.
Some of the primary benefits of outsourcing IT services include:
- One transparent, flexible contract to reduce costs and paperwork
- Local teams offering presential maintenance and support
- Filling talent shortages for short- and long-term projects with staff augmentation
- Support across the US and international branches, including hard-to-reach sites
- Multi-service, multi-vendor expertise for heterogeneous data centers
- Certifications confirming local and international compliance
- Comprehensive lifecycle management from installation to disposal
Meanwhile, businesses’ core teams can focus on their operations without disruptions.
If your current service model is becoming outdated or no longer suits your enterprise needs, it’s time to rethink your approach. Contact Evernex or browse our professional service pages to explore agile, global IT strategies that balance cost, control, and compliance.
About the Author
Dan Amarei is the VP of Global Professional Services at Evernex, bringing decades of expertise in IT asset lifecycle management. Dan oversees Evernex’s global professional services portfolio, including Smart Hands, IMAC, IT Asset Disposition (ITAD), data center relocations, and IT staff augmentation. His extensive background in leading IT ventures and managing large-scale projects has helped Global 2000 clients and federal agencies optimize their IT operations with confidence.
