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The Future of IT must be All Encompassing

Chris Kelly, Executive Director & GM - Infrastructure Solutions Group, Dell EMC

Chris Kelly, Executive Director & GM - Infrastructure Solutions Group, Dell EMC

Australian businesses are running the risk of and in some cases already starting to find themselves in a state of disruption which will only grow more apparent unless action is taken. We are already in the fourth industrial revolution and if businesses want to continue competing, they must adapt to the future-ready business train of thought. Being future-ready means making an organization ready to succeed in a world that is increasingly experiencing digital transformation, innovation and disruption. And, where traditional legacy technologies are revamped by new technologies such as cloud, mobility, social and analytics.

The time for CEOs to switch from a “business as usual” approach in IT to an “adapt to the future” mentality has come and gone. This isn’t a surprise as according to Dell Technologies research, nearly 60 percent of business leaders in Australia are unsure of how their industry will look within the next three years. This article will discuss the three areas enterprises need to think about to be future-ready and relevant in 2017.

The Time of Start-ups

Start-ups and technology have had a massive effect on businesses in Australia as they model the “future-ready” mentality. Companies like Uber and GoCatch are putting a crippling dent on the taxi industry. The ambitious approach from start-ups and the increased use of technology has made it possible for small businesses to keep up with the powerhouses.

These start-ups have embraced the role of being able to cater to what their customers want on a personal level, integrating easy and convenient customer support with a service in real-time.

It isn’t a shock that businesses that only offer services during traditional business hours without understanding their customers’ demands will be left behind.

According to a PwC report, nearly 100 percent of tasks performed by accountants today will be automated by 2035.

it is important for businesses to learn from start-ups, digital disruption and embrace the benefits of iot to stay ahead of the tech game" the time of start-ups

This correlates with the same Dell research stating that nearly 90 percent of businesses have found that the increase in digital start-ups have left them feeling threatened. Start-ups are not going away anytime soon, so businesses need to make steps to adjust to the future-ready business mentality and the changing environment. Upgrades to infrastructure give customers the service expectations they now are used to from start-ups.

Digital Disruption

As technology advances at alarming rates, we are seeing a massive upswing in digital transformation and innovation which will ultimately lead to an increase in digital disruption across all channels. For incumbents to play a part they must transform – their business, their approach to IT, their workforce, their security posture, and everything. How are businesses reacting to this revolution? At least 52 percent respondents from Dell’s research have already experienced significant disruption to their industries as a result of digital technologies. There’s no debate—IT is clearly a key partner and an enabler for accelerating growth and uncovering new avenues for business opportunities but organisations need to act now. Realising the benefits of digital disruption starts with an organisation’s leadership acknowledging that it needs to embrace the digital era.

Internet of Things

IoT services are imperative in keeping a company connected. According to Gartner, over five million sensors and machine-to-machine devices will be connected to the Internet every day. In a different study, Gartner found that 40 percent of organizations expect IoT to have a significant impact in the short term and more than 60 percent in the long term. As devices become more intelligent through sensors and machine-to-machine communication advances in its ability to provide actionable change, the opportunities for businesses to capitalise on the insight are vast.

It is important to understand that the success of the IoT is dependent on an organisation’s ability to manage and thrive with the complex relationships of their systems, devices, things and people. If done correctly, IoT can allow an action to be taken to solve potential problems.

Encompassing IT

As we move into 2017, it is important for businesses to be aware of and even learn from start-ups, digital disruption and embrace the benefits of IoT to stay ahead of the tech game before they find themselves irrelevant and stuck in the past. By embracing the “future-ready” mindset, companies will be all encompassing in the IT world and ready to keep pace with the evolving industry.

Founded in 1979 and based in Hopkinton, United States, Dell EMC is a multi-national corporation excelling in data storage, information security, virtualization, analytics, and cloud computing and employs over 70,000 people.