{"id":38786,"date":"2026-01-21T12:38:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T17:38:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/?p=38786"},"modified":"2026-01-21T12:38:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T17:38:09","slug":"economic-outlook-2026-technology-moves-the-basement-to-boardroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2026\/01\/economic-outlook-2026-technology-moves-the-basement-to-boardroom\/","title":{"rendered":"Economic Outlook 2026: Technology Moves The Basement To Boardroom"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_38787\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-38787\" style=\"width: 200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-38787\" src=\"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/109\/2026\/01\/david-andrade-headshot-200x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/109\/2026\/01\/david-andrade-headshot-200x300.png 200w, https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/109\/2026\/01\/david-andrade-headshot.png 667w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-38787\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">David Andrade, president of Stored Technology Solutions Inc., champions IT leadership.<br \/>Courtesy StoredTech<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>By David Andrade, President, Stored Technology Solutions, Inc.<\/p>\n<p>For years, the relationship between a business and its IT provider was purely transactional. You called them when outages occurred or the Wi-Fi dropped, and you paid them to make the problem go away. Today, that break-fix model isn\u2019t just outdated, it\u2019s holding back your ability to scale. In 2026, there should be a shift in how your company utilizes technology. Think of it as moving the technology from the basement to the boardroom.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Tech is no longer a background function. It\u2019s the backbone of daily operations and a competitive advantage. The organizations that thrive this year won\u2019t just be those with the newest gadgets, but those that redefine their relationship with how technology makes their business better.<\/p>\n<p>The most significant shift we have seen in recent years is replacing the \u201cIT vendor\u201d with the mindset of a strategic partner. Today\u2019s business leaders expect their technology teams to understand their business model, their business goals, and the unique pressures of operating in a seasonal, tourism driven economy. This partnership extends into the realm of cybersecurity, tying into the overall resilience of the company. Small to mid-sized businesses remain primary targets because attackers know there\u2019s a lack of internal resources and budget allocated.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Every industry has seen the change that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made. The reality is, AI isn\u2019t a future concept. It\u2019s already embedded in the tools we use every day including Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and social media platforms. Those who embrace AI-powered systems to automate routine tasks will scale, while those who hesitate will find themselves bogged down by manual workflows. By allowing AI to handle the \u201cnoise\u201d and provide deeper system insights, your team is freed up for the higher-value work that actually drives revenue growth. Utilizing AI is no longer optional, it\u2019s the modern approach to business decision making and automations. Businesses that hesitate will risk falling behind.<\/p>\n<p><b><span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"><strong><span class=\"s1\"><span class=\"s2\"><!--more--><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/b>Leaderships involvement in technology should no longer just be asking, \u201cIs our technology working?\u201d The forward-thinking ones are asking:<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs our technology helping us grow?\u201d<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs it improving customer experience?\u201d<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIs it making our team more productive?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This shift changes everything. Technology reviews are no longer technical check-ins, but rather strategic conversations. This check-in is where every decision can be tied directly to a tangible outcome. One of the most effective ways to ensure these outcomes is through standardization. Managing dozens of different tools and systems creates \u201ctechnical debt\u201d and security gaps. A unified, streamlined approach is a strong way to stay resilient.<\/p>\n<p>We saw this recently with a multi-generational construction company dealing with thirty years of project data and too many silos. The foreman was using one app for project updates, the sub contractor using another for change orders, and the back office was still tracking hours on a legacy spreadsheet. The breaking point came while the concrete trucks sat idling, costing the company thousands, and the team was scrambling to confirm a spec change because the systems were disconnected. It was a wake-up call that tech shouldn\u2019t be a hurdle but a tool to drive success. A \u2018single source of truth\u2019 and standardizing every device from the office to the field was a big part of modernization.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>As our Upstate NY business community grows, it\u2019s key to remember technology is a key driver of success. The companies that focus on blending smart tech with strategic thinking are the ones that will thrive. Working closely with your technology partner to align your tools, security, and strategy with your business goals is what sets you apart. Treat technology as a growth engine, and not just an expense, and you\u2019ll be leading the way in 2026 and beyond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By David Andrade, President, Stored Technology Solutions, Inc. For years, the relationship between a business and its IT provider was purely transactional. You called them when outages occurred or the Wi-Fi dropped, and you paid them to make the problem go away. Today, that break-fix model isn\u2019t just outdated, it\u2019s holding back your ability to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":38787,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[152],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economic-outlook-2026"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>Economic Outlook 2026: Technology Moves The Basement To Boardroom - Glens Falls Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2026\/01\/economic-outlook-2026-technology-moves-the-basement-to-boardroom\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Economic Outlook 2026: Technology Moves The Basement To Boardroom - Glens Falls Business Journal\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By David Andrade, President, Stored Technology Solutions, Inc. For years, the relationship between a business and its IT provider was purely transactional. You called them when outages occurred or the Wi-Fi dropped, and you paid them to make the problem go away. 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