5 trends of Digital Transformation in the post Covid-19
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen technology advance at a breakneck pace. Communication and connectivity solutions, which were still a long way from implementation, suddenly jumped to the top of the to-do list and many companies were forced to accelerate their digital transformation plans. So let's take a look at how companies have responded to the sudden emergency and how the pandemic has affected the biggest digital transformation trends expected for 2020.
Growth of the IT infrastructure
The pandemic has radically changed everyday life, forcing many to work or shop from home. Increased traffic on networks has put tremendous pressure on IT infrastructures, and many companies that weren't prepared for such a sudden change in operations and business dynamics have now increased their IT budgets.
The impact of these changes will affect businesses in the short, medium and long term. In the immediate future, companies will seek to acquire more software licenses for unified communications, ensuring that employees have more communication channels at their disposal. In the medium term, further emphasis will be given to automation in the management of services. Finally, as a long-term goal, businesses will seek to balance digital and traditional channels.
Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence to support critical decisions
The use of Big Data and Analytics has been an important growth factor for several years, but with the explosion of Covid-19, the need for data has further increased. Numerous companies and institutions have in fact collected and analyzed large amounts of data, through the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, to help governments and businesses make decisions, often critical and in real time, in order to protect citizens and employees.
Now this data is used to trace contacts and to support further security-related decisions. Finally, there have been announcements from several tech companies including Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco and Salesforce focusing on developing data-driven tools to help employees get back to work safely.
Cloud services to empower business
The pandemic has limited physical movements around the world, highlighting the need for cloud-based software and services. These physical limitations have made it clear that to keep up with the times, companies must offer virtualized solutions and embrace a cloud-first mindset.
Cloud services can help streamline operations and provide flexible resources that enable business digital growth and transformation, while reducing infrastructure costs and increasing revenues, even in times of a pandemic.
Digital and contactless services
Companies that relied primarily on physical solutions and had made little progress in their digital transformation found themselves in serious trouble with the onset of the pandemic. As physical interaction has been limited or eliminated, the importance of digital services has emerged.
For example, in cases where a physical presence was often a necessity, Covid-19 has made customer care nearly impossible. Companies that had already made progress in their digital transformation, however, could connect with customers in unique ways, such as using their smartphone camera as a way to virtually solve a problem.
It is easy to predict that all companies will make long-term investments in digital services. In fact, once the pandemic has been overcome, those who have chosen to invest in digital transformation will be able to offer their customers a wide choice of solutions, digital and physical, to relate to the company, such as contactless services.
5G: Increases the demand for faster connectivity
While it has long been considered an aspect of global digital transformation, the importance of faster connectivity, both at home and in the workplace, was highlighted during the pandemic. As data usage has skyrocketed, the need for more capacity and bandwidth has also increased. This will result in an accelerated deployment of 5G, and many telecom companies are well on their way to successfully implementing this new technology.
Companies across all industries should prepare for the 5G era by adapting their digital transformation strategy. The technology is already being used in China and other countries, especially in the fields of medicine and robotics. Chinese hospitals use 5G-powered robots to monitor patient temperatures and for other healthcare applications. For mobile communications, Apple is likely to release the next 5G iPhones by the end of the year or in the first quarter of 2021.
Despite the uncertainties for the future, it is clear that companies need to accelerate the digital transformation process, not only to survive but above all to be the driving force behind the trends.
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