Throughout the 2014 Gartner Symposium/ ITxpo Africa in Cape Town one of the key messages that we heard was that everything will become digital in some way in the future.
Digital business is becoming a reality merging the virtual and physical worlds @PeterSonderg #GartnerSYM
— Justin J Williams (@jjza) September 10, 2014
Since the dawn of the internet era companies started digitising various aspects of their business, e.g. Advertising; CRM, ERP & core systems; sales and servicing processes. However we now see move to where the core products being offered by companies are now being digitized.
Digital business is not just e-business 2.0 + digital media 2.0. Products still need to be remastered #GartnerSYM pic.twitter.com/Anp5qZs2vM
— Zaid -Travpacker.com (@zaidmo) September 11, 2014
And it affects all industries.
Digitization is not limited to information industries. It is now going to transform the physical, hard industries. Revolutionary!#GartnerSYM
— Zaid -Travpacker.com (@zaidmo) September 11, 2014
We’ve already seen this happen in the music industry, media industry (books and newspapers), with cameras, smartphones and now e-cigarettes.
A Typical Family Home Could Contain More Than 500 Smart Devices by 2022, @Gartner_Inc: http://t.co/8IemZqVo5S #GartnerSYM
— Andrew Spender (@caspender) September 8, 2014
Some examples of new products being digitized:
Imagine drone delivered pizzas, 3D printed jewelry, pilot-less planes – nothing is impossible. #GartnerSYM
— Patrick Clarke (@patch_s_clarke) September 11, 2014
and
Money (BitCoin), self-driving cars, robot lawnmowers- all examples of digitising other industries #gartnersym
— Zaid -Travpacker.com (@zaidmo) September 11, 2014
Basically:
Any product can be re-imagined #InternetOfThings #GartnerSYM
— Magano Auala (@MaganoAuala) September 11, 2014
Companies, ask yourselves:
How are our businesses using the effects of digitization to remaster or redesign the way we do business today. #GartnerSYM
— Patrick Clarke (@patch_s_clarke) September 11, 2014
If companies don’t take action and start working on a digital strategy will they be able to survive in the digital era?
Digital golf balls, digital ski goggles. Businesses will go out of business by tech companies outside your industry. #GartnerSYM
— Patrick Clarke (@patch_s_clarke) September 11, 2014
This means that CIO’s need to also start working on a digital plan and make sure that they are still relevant in the near future.
By the end of 2015 if CIOs don’t lead the digital transformation journey their role will shrink to operational delivery #GartnerSYM
— Zaid -Travpacker.com (@zaidmo) September 11, 2014
It’s not only a challenge for CIO’s, it’s a personal opportunity for them to extend their influence:
CIOs need to extend their influence & power. Some1 has to make these new digital decisions. #GartnerSYM pic.twitter.com/KxoKlCkqM1
— Zaid -Travpacker.com (@zaidmo) September 11, 2014
For entrepreneurs there is good news: there are plenty of opportunities out there for you in this digital era
Digital business enables entirely new business designs which will lead to many business opportunities #GartnerSYM pic.twitter.com/9xkrkJqEG7
— Zaid -Travpacker.com (@zaidmo) September 11, 2014
The Gartner Symposium also had sessions with advice on how we should approach innovation and prepare our businesses for a digital future
“To innovate, think like a psychologist, not an engineer”, Mary Mesaglio #GartnerSYM Psychology of serial innovation. pic.twitter.com/CQByVKD8cB
— Clint L Bryce (@CraniumJack) September 11, 2014
A digital business cannot operate without the right information. Find out how information drives it by reading this Q&A:
How Information Drives the Digital Business – Q&A with Frank Buytendijk http://t.co/Z8RKAtYtMk #GartnerSYM pic.twitter.com/aKq7cO8oOT
— Gartner (@Gartner_Events) September 10, 2014
This has left me asking myself the question:
As various industries redefine themselves digitally I’m wondering how the travel industry can “plug in”. #GartnerSYM pic.twitter.com/aMJlb0JZoZ
— Zaid -Travpacker.com (@zaidmo) September 11, 2014
I will be leaving the 2014 Gartner Symposium with some good ideas, thanks to the great information shared by the Gartner analysts.
