The comms industry has always been fond of acronyms but surprisingly there is no catchy abbreviation to denote what is the single biggest influence on the comms sector, according to Content Director John Chapman. Taking the stage Chapman embarked on a revealing keynote that highlighted the overarching role of Digitalisation and its impact on the shape of business communications and the future look of customer organisations.
"Digitalisation has moved into the boardroom at pace, changing the way industries and companies operate," he said. "Digitalisation is now at the heart of business strategy."
He urged delegates to grasp the 'digital imperative' - a by-product of widespread connectivity - and get involved or 'face destruction'.
The rise of Digitalisation is surely beyond argument, according to Chapman, who cited a confluence of forces that have created a new market based on the virtualisation of infrastructure, data centres, superfast connectivity, mobility and Big Data analytics.
"These are responsible for kick starting a new era in the advance of technological developments," he said. "This is reflected in the changing structure of boardrooms and the emergence of the Chief Digital Officer."
Digitalisation has redefined IT into a new category - Enterprise IT 3.0 - the latest incarnation of two previous eras, the first being 'basic' IT, while the 2.0 epoch points to an age when IT was industrialised by the rise of connectedness, which spawned greater expectations around what technology can deliver.
But 3.0, noted Chapman, is all about Digitalisation and realising the full potential of technology now that we have it. "The next five to ten years will be about using technology to transform the way businesses work," added Chapman.
This is an optimistic period with high hopes for market growth pinned on the transformative power of embedded digital-ness. And Chapman put a spotlight on smart manufacturing as a prime example of how digitalisation is turning traditional methods of production on their head. Products can now be made to order quickly, and where required an element of customer personalisation may be thrown into the manufacturing process for good measure.
"These changes are all about Digitalisation," he added. "CIOs are committed to spending in areas such as BI analytics. Digital-based solutions like this put pressure on existing networks and the channel is the middle of this digital revolution.
"Resellers also need to have Digitalisation at the heart of their strategies. They need to understand the customer's digital requirements and provide the infrastructure. New partnering models will be needed, but the opportunities are endless."