A WT Insider guide to 2016 and beyond
By
Nick Wakeman
In this WT Insider exclusive, we gather our best advice and insights on market trends, upcoming opportunities and strategic imperatives into a handy guide to help you through the ups and downs of the coming year.
I wish I could say this was all part of a master plan, but in all honesty, it is really just serendipity (a word my wife taught me). Over the last few weeks, we’ve run several pieces looking at major trends in the market and where 2016 might be headed.
Overall, the chances are good that 2016 will be a better year than we have seen in quite some time. The main reason is that Congress has given the market some visibility into budgets with another two-year deal that sets some topline numbers for spending.
The defense budget shows real growth for the first time, and there are increases across the board. Of course, a lot of details still need to be worked out, but the big benefit is that agencies know they have money and now they can start to plan and actually invest, which means opportunities for government contractors.
Some of the hot areas are easy to name: cloud, infrastructure, modernization, Agile development, data analytics and, of course, cybersecurity.
Specific sectors include health, command and control, intelligence, business systems and operational efficiency.
The stories we’ve been running have been a mix of commentary and reporting. Some are inside the paywall, some are outside.
My goal with this blog is to pull them together into one place and make this a quick reference or readers guide as we move forward in 2016. The information includes specific budget and opportunity insights as well as advice on business development, operations and leadership.
I’m dividing the stories and blogs into two board categories:
HOW THE MARKET IS CHANGING
Signs point to a promising 2016
2015: A year of dramatic change at a glacial pace
6 trends reshaping the 2016 market
HOW YOU SHOULD CHANGE TO REMAIN COMPETITIVEHere’s how to tune up your business for 2016
6 cyber best practices for the new year
Three marketing musts for 2016
These are just nine stories, and together they offer some unique insights into the market and how you can make 2016 and beyond a successful year.
As always, we look forward to your comments.