A lot has happened at a fast pace over the last year. Is technology the way out of this turmoil?

A digital technology agenda is accelerating the transition to the new normal. The economic and societal impact far exceeds that of previous crises and places unprecedented pressure on businesses, and more importantly, on our human capacity to adapt and remain resilient. Despite the significant challenges ahead, this turbulent period also presents opportunities for optimization and digital transformation.

It’s a digital world out there, and there’s no turning back

To emerge from this period of uproar, a wide range of companies decided to transition to remote working. The number of businesses consuming cloud-based services is constantly increasing. The virtualization of work environments, multi-platform mobility, but also large-scale teleworking deployment against a backdrop of multi-orchestrated cloud computing is our new reality. This unprecedented situation  accelerated the dominance of technology in our lives and forced us to spend time learning to communicate in the digital 21st century. 

Accelerating ideas and opportunities

Innovations in R&D have acquired the status of solutions in just a few months.

Intelligent human-machine interfaces (IHMI) that can combine facial recognition and reaction to emotions and moods with the help of cameras and sensors are now a reality.

Next-generation algorithms that autonomously manage gigantic financial flows, detect micro changes in trends or manage automated business processes and globalized intelligent supply chains are also being developed.

On-site and remote connected objects communicating with each other and with planetary data centers through a 5G internet connection are no longer in development, they are already here.

In 2021, technology and reality have become one.

Stay home, stay safe … online

Cyberattacks have increased along with the worldwide outbreak. Digital transformation may have been part of many organizations’ plans, but those plans quickly became a reality (especially with teleworking) to ensure business continuity when the crisis hit. To orchestrate the parallel worlds of securely interconnected devices and systems, companies had no choice but to adapt quickly.

The multiplication of opportunities (robot delivery service, telehealth and contactless everything) means the multiplication of security risks and new forms of data theft. Quick speed pace, rapid scaling and lack of structure have pushed some organizations to resort to improvisation, often leading to security gaps.

Prevention, prevention, prevention

When it comes to cybersecurity, prevention is better than the cure. The last year has accelerated the adoption of digital tools. With that rapid adoption, the existing risks associated with digital technology have also grown. Real-time prevention is the most efficient way to protect against cyberattacks and all types of data breaches.

Almost daily, the news reports massive attacks on organizations, their information assets and their users: networks, applications, on-premises and mobile devices, on-premises and cloud computing systems and software, etc.

These are all potential loopholes through which threats can infiltrate and spread to the entire enterprise and its ramifications. To prevent them, new policies, architectures, practices, and integrated networking and security solutions are emerging to continuously secure the physical, mobile, and cloud-based perimeters in an ever-changing world.

Fuelling investments

The acceleration of digitalization and automation across the board calls for a global strategy and agile development at all levels and in all parts of the company, from the top to its foundation and core structure, through its talents, practices, projects and delivery capabilities.

In these pressured times, the urgency to adopt and implement agile strategies has increased. The digital agenda of businesses has accelerated, and, in many sectors, the business model has become end-to-end digitalized. Investments in information technology have exploded over the past few months. A  new report from Gartner  predicts that tech spending will hit $3.9 trillion this year, a 6.2% increase over 2020.

Find out where the money is going and follow it.

The tipping point for technology adoption

In this IT landscape, digital transformation is the buzzword. Evolving faster than ever before, technology is being infused into all aspects of society, making it impossible to separate business plan from technology strategy. Abandoning the gains made over the last year for a quick return to the old model is a missed opportunity.

Breakthrough innovations are emerging, some of which will become business solutions. Leaders and decision-makers need to summon the courage to go through with it, as confidence, audacity and innovation are the best remedies against doubt, uncertainty and the unknown. The political, social, technological, and economic consequences may take years to unfold as we learn to navigate through uncertain times with a reframed mindset. But one thing is for sure: the future is faster than ever. We must embrace it — now!

Break away from “business as usual” and fast-forward to the right digital strategy.Let’s work together to innovate now!