Computing and mobile have transformational powers, with transactions now having personalised engagement, millions of PCs becoming millions of mobile devices, structured data becoming unstructured and cloud making infrastructure less rigid
This is according to IBM software group marketing executive Michael Friedberg, who was a keynote speaker at IBM’s BusinessConnect conference held yesterday in Nairobi.
He said the factors causing this transformation are an emerging middle class, mobile devices, massive big data and social engagement..
“The transformative forces are powerful, they overlap and together they create the potential for sustained advantage,” said Friedberg.
Harnessing these transformation forces requires innovation and leaders need to innovate faster, Friedberg said.
Currently, 75 per cent of African chief information officers (CIOs) are planning to implement private cloud solutions, and 64 per cent of Kenyan and Nigerian companies have or are planning a big data analytics project, he said, while it is projected by 2016 there will be more mobil devices than people.
“We need to build a culture that diffuses analytics into everything we do,” he said.
“In Africa, mobile communication contributed six per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).”
While the potential is significant, it is important to ensure every transaction is secure and that an agile approach to mobile devices in terms of creation and application is taken.
