Local businesses need to leverage the forces that influence technology consumption if they are to stay ahead of the curve in an age of digital disruption. This is according to Microsoft SA MD Zoaib Hoosen, who addressed delegates at an AccTech Systems conference in Johannesburg today.
Hoosen said companies aiming to tap into disruptive technological influences would need to adopt a customer-centric approach that engages people based on their patterns of consuming technology, including a high appetite for mobility.
"You have to understand the changing consumer appetites, including the way people continue to engage online.
"If we do not enhance the customer experience and adapt to the way people want to engage using technology, we will lose loyalty," he said.
According to Hoosen, becoming a digital business is less about being active on digital platforms than it is about using them to engage effectively with customers. "You also need to bear speed and agility in mind. As information comes through, your business would need to make sense of it quickly and have the ability to take decisive action."
Localised approach
The International Data Corporation (IDC) recently noted that any technological interventions aiming to implement global best practices need to address African market requirements if they are to be successful.
The research firm said although there have been significant ICT investments across SA, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda and Tanzania, companies need careful consideration of local contexts in order to develop lasting solutions.
Lise Hagen, the IDC's research manager for software and IT services in Africa, said savvy African CIOs are making informed decisions around technologies that will address issues pertinent to their markets. "As African organisations evolve, IT services providers must work to keep pace with the very latest technological trends, adapting them to the unique requirements of the local market while also bringing in global best practices."
Hagen, citing responses to a recent survey conducted by the research firm, added that South African CIOs aim to focus their investments on mobility, including mobilising enterprise apps, business continuity and disaster recovery (BC/DR), and unified communications.
Meanwhile, their counterparts in east and west Africa identified BC/DR, server virtualisation, and advanced security solutions as their immediate priorities.
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