It’s an understatement to say that the UK’s national health system was exposed for its inadequacy during the COVID-19 pandemic. A decade-long policy of government budget cuts left it ill-equipped to supply enough beds for patients, staff and medical equipment for hospitals, and investment in research to offer guidance on long COVID – as well as showing flagrant inequality in its care provision across diverse groups.
Still, in 2019, the Open Data Institute (ODI), as part of a consumer survey, revealed that “59% [of UK respondents trusted] the NHS and healthcare providers to use personal data ethically – the only type of organisation trusted by over half of those surveyed.” Despite the inadequacies, the general public estimated healthcare professionals were trustworthy.
Unfortunately, despite renewed efforts and the rollout of a national Data Strategy, in time, the financial burden of constant budget cuts has caught up with many cash-strapped local authorities and agencies. Research from ENISA has shown that many healthcare organizations still employ lackluster defences to counter growing threats. Its analysis of the healthcare industry in the EU found that only 27% of organisations have a dedicated ransomware defense program.
The combination of increased vulnerability caused by lagging IT infrastructure, slow adoption and rollout of new technology, and lack of security awareness from non-IT staff is exacerbated by the sheer economic worth of patient data and the cutting-edge tools that cybercriminals are now harnessing.
In this environment, the role played by cyber-technology providers is crucial. A supplier’s ability to think beyond the mere technological scope of – or solution to – a problem will result in a stronger and longer-lasting infrastructure and flexibility when attacks surge, instead of a one-time fix. Referencing AI technologies in healthcare, Tim Skinner says that “the narrow focus on technology can reduce the efficiency of a project and prevent those involved from getting to the end goal.” For a cybersecurity provider, this means developing cutting-edge knowledge that can persuade key enterprise stakeholders that their wider IT ecosystem is not only highly secure but also creative enough to sustain the most ingenious strikes, whether through prevention or recovery.
How do enterprise tech providers assuage decision-makers? How do they go about convincing them that they are the right partners for the job, and by extension, the future?
According to ITPro’s Future Focus Report 2025, key considerations include:
- Being reliable and transparent
- Sharing goals and ambitions
- Displaying advisory capabilities
- Being flexible and attentive
- Being a team player
The report also offers insight into the approach that IT decision-makers take when seeking new tech partners: vendor-led content is the highest-performing kind, with analyst reports in second. For technology providers, this doesn’t mean the product quality isn’t key (service features still take first place when it comes to selecting a vendor), but the onus is on providing content that both demonstrates authority in certain sectors or products, and engaging professionals through trusted channels such as industry peers, reputable news websites and focused events.
Such is the case for BT Business, which utilised its partnership with ITPro to promote its range of cybersecurity products and services to specialised sectors in the UK. The campaign allowed BT Business to raise its profile, build positive sentiment and trust, and generate highly qualified leads.
To read the full case study, click here.
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