EC News DeskIn your opinion, what has been the most transformative technology or solution or use case in 2019 for the region?
As digital transformation plans heated up across the region in 2019, automation, cloud, and security were headlined to be the most anticipated areas for IT funding according to Red Hat’s Global Customer Tech Outlook: 2019 report. These trends began fuelling serious change in the last year, particularly in the cloud space as organisations became attuned towards transforming their IT infrastructures and architectures as a prerequisite to larger digital transformation efforts.
What do you anticipate will be the most transformative technology or solution or use case in 2020 for the region?
As more enterprises channel the open source way of operating, and as digital transformation efforts continue to rise, the global appeal of open source solutions as alternative foundational systems to drive innovation and digital transformation is growing. This shift in thinking is reflected in Red Hat’s Global Customer Tech Outlook: 2020, with hybrid cloud and open organisation approaches to culture topping the list for IT investment. This shows our customers are seeing the cost-effective, flexible, reliable, and secure benefits of adopting open source and hybrid cloud strategies.
A use case illustrating this trend regionally is illustrated through Emirates NBD in the UAE building a distributed private cloud platform with Red Hat’s hybrid cloud and API technologies as part of its digital transformation strategy. This platform provides Emirates NBD a common foundation and access to cloud-native services for internal teams, improving integration, collaboration and speed of development.
What will be the possible drivers or facilitators for digital and business transformation in 2020 for the region?
Hybrid cloud strategy, open organisation cultures, and investments into Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are the key technological areas customers are seeking to expand upon in the year ahead. As priorities and challenges evolve, these areas will be integral to organisations’ abilities to modernise, increase speed and efficiency, break new ground, or redefine their core business models.
What will be the possible inhibitors or challenges for digital and business transformation in 2020 for the region?
Because changes in technology and the digital world are getting faster due to the scalable nature of digital, the biggest challenge for customers is being able to innovate while keeping pace with the quickly evolving world around them. In essence, if organisations have not begun implementing or merely thinking about digitally transforming their IT stacks and business models beyond legacy systems, 2002 is the time to embrace change.
What will be the impact of the upcoming mega events, Expo 2020 and World Cup, on the transformation outlook of the region?
Expo 2020 Dubai is expected to bring about a world of economic opportunities for the region. By striving to create the blueprint for future smart city applications, the Expo 2020 site, and ensuing District 2020, promises to be a hotbed for innovation that will help individuals and businesses thrive. As a hub that breeds innovation for the future success of the region, we envision open source solutions and breakthroughs to be a big part of this success story for the region in the years to come.
