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Enterprises are not yet fully prepared

The majority of respondents in the UAE and Saudi Arabia (99 per cent) report that recent technological advances have impacted the way that their organisation does business.

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Dubai: Enterprises in the Middle East are not prepared for ‘Digital Future’ according to a recent research report.

The study highlights “Information Generation” is creating new demands for enterprises but 40 per cent of respondents admit not knowing how to get value from their data. Earlier this month, EMC announced the results of the study that explores the impact of a growing global community of digital citizens.

“Whether we’re working, keeping fit, learning, playing, purchasing online or watching TV, we are making new digital demands of the businesses with which we deal. These individuals are always connected and engaged online, and have the world’s information at their fingertips. They also view the world very differently,” according to the study.

Based on input from 3,600 Director-to-C-Suite business leaders across 18 countries including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the study reveals new expectations of these individuals and identifies the fundamental business attributes critical for organisations to successfully compete and thrive in this new landscape.

The majority of respondents in the UAE and Saudi Arabia (99 per cent) report that recent technological advances have impacted the way that their organisation does business. More than 60 per cent agree that the rapid adoption of mobile, social, cloud and big data technologies is changing customer behaviour and creating a new digital world, whereby organisations must adapt in order to stay competitive.

The research study results show that 63 per cent believe that customers want access to services faster; 56 per cent believe that customers want 24/7 access and connectivity; 51 per cent believe that customers want a personalised experience; and 43 per cent believe that customers want access on an increasing number of multi-channel platforms.

“The combined forces of cloud, social, mobile and big data have led to the emergence of what we like to call the ‘Information Generation’. Whether they’re working, keeping fit, learning, playing, purchasing online or watching TV, these digital citizens are creating new demands for the businesses they deal with,” said Mohammed Amin, senior vice-president for Turkey, Eastern Europe, Africa and Middle East at EMC Corp.

The study highlights that the demand for better use of data and insight is coming from both internal and external forces. Internally, the demand is most likely to come from the IT department (47 per cent), finance (37 per cent), the IT department (47 per cent), marketing (32 per cent) and the C-suite/board level (28 per cent), and externally from competitors (40 per cent) and customers (36 per cent).

“The results of the Information Generation Study are clear evidence of the significant impact that combined forces of cloud, social, mobile and big data have created for businesses everywhere. Even in the region, the emergence of ‘digital citizens’ necessitates the need for enterprises to revisit their strategies and redefine themselves to meet this massive shift in expectations, adapt and succeed in the future,” Amin said.

abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com

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