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Digital age rewrites business rules

By Candace Bosch, Conference producer
Johannesburg, 06 Jan 2015
The reality of today is that we are a digital species, says Neil Jacobsohn, CEO of FutureWorld.
The reality of today is that we are a digital species, says Neil Jacobsohn, CEO of FutureWorld.

No matter what business you are in, no matter what industries you focus on, your world is changing ? and it is changing because digital is rewriting the rules.

So says Neil Jacobsohn, CEO of FutureWorld and keynote speaker at this year's ITWeb Digital Economy Summit 2015, which takes place on 21 and 22 April at The Forum in Bryanston.

The event will feature an array of carefully-selected subject matter experts, who will expand on the challenges and opportunities being presented by a rapidly-digitising world, providing an inspirational and informative platform for companies to develop their own digital economy strategies.

Jacobsohn's opening keynote, entitled "Be your own disrupter - rise to the challenges in a digital world", will draw attention to the importance of the digital world and how it is already affecting the future stability and success of businesses here and abroad.

According to Jacobsohn, it is essential organisations explore the digital world as it is rapidly becoming 'the world'. There is increasingly very little separation between what is digital and what is not, he notes, adding there is hardly a business left that has not been changed by digital, from entertainment to banking to retail to travel, and every other sector you can think of.

Industry is also being changed as we enter the world of big data and automated machines ? all driven by digital, says Jacobsohn. He believes our societies, and the people, are being reinvented by the digital revolution.

"Just think of the Arab Spring, and how the ability to communicate through cell phones, computers and apps enabled entire populations to stand together against dictators. Then think about how you do business today, and how you communicate with friends and family. The reality of today is we are a digital species."

Businesses manufacture and procure differently because of digital - they shop, transport, store, buy and sell things differently, says Jacobsohn. He points out companies that choose not to understand the digital life will be left behind.

The digital marketspace is about smarter technologies that deliver better production, better services and better prices, says Jacobsoh. Customers are already digital - if businesses don't follow this world, they will fail, sooner rather than later, he adds.

ITWeb Digital Economy Summit 2015 ? 21 and 22 April

Meet the challenges and grasp the opportunities presented by the digital economy. Break the mould and become your own disrupter. Click here to register and learn how to build your business in a digital world.

According to Jacobsohn, digital has created new competitors with new rules, serving old and new customers. The opportunities are immense; the threats are massive, he says.

"We are a networked, connected society ? and we're just at the start of the race. Big data, automation, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, robotics ? all are driven by digital technologies, and are reinventing the way we work and the way we live."

The ITWeb Digital Economy Summit 2015 will be filled with insightful presentations and case studies that will see C-level executives and other senior business and IT decision-makers receive key insights and practical advice from digital economists, futurists and other thought leaders.

Click here to find out more and register your interest in attending.

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