THIS has been a year of unprecedented change but one where technology has been the constant. A combination of necessity and ingenuity on the part of businesses in Northern Ireland has resulted in nine years of digital transformation occurring in the space of just nine months.
As we look ahead, we can expect the pace of technological acceleration to increase even further, driving innovation and creating new opportunities for businesses to rebuild. In 2021, technology will provide a path to our economic recovery. Over the coming year, cloud will become a way of doing business.
Greater investment in public and private clouds will enable organisations to support and maintain a hybrid workforce – with some employees working primarily from home and others returning to the office. We’ll also see a shift in how companies harness the cloud and consume technology.
Organisations in public and private sectors will increasingly embrace an ‘As-a-Service’ model where they can access the technology they need to stay resilient and grow in just a few clicks.
2021 will also see new data-driven opportunities that will fuel the growth of new e-commerce and digital business apps.
It is estimated that there is 40 zettabytes of data in our world today which will grow to 175ZB by 2025 with more than five billion internet users. The move to the cloud and new cutting-edge infrastructure will provide businesses in Northern Ireland with the ability to not only analyse but act on data insights being generated across all of their operations.
5G is on track to become the digital fabric of our data-driven era. This will allow businesses to roll-out a greater number of IoT-enabled devices connected to the web.
In 2018, there were 7 billion such devices across the world and it is estimated we will have reached 31 billion connected devices by the end of the year. In 2021, mobile network operators will invest in modern IT that brings us closer to the kind of widespread connectivity that 5G makes possible.
The expansion of 5G in Northern Ireland will help unlock the potential of connected healthcare to the benefit of patients, create a more inclusive education system and enable small companies to rapidly transform their business models.
In 2021, intelligent PCs will increasingly adapt to the needs of those who have to work or learn from home. These new devices will allow new apps and services to launch that make collaborating within teams working in the office or at home easier and more organic.
At its heart, technology is about enabling businesses and organisations to succeed. But to lead a successful company in 2021, leaders will place greater value on trust, empathy and flexibility in what is quickly becoming a technology-driven economy and society. This new approach to leadership will help to unlock the potential of the workforce.
With the growing connections between workers and technology, public authorities and industry will need to place a greater focus on upskilling and reskilling. With AI taking on more responsibilities, it will create new opportunities for workers in Northern Ireland to take on more meaningful tasks and focus on developing products and services for the future.
But above all, 2021 is the year to invest in long-term transformation. Businesses will increasingly need technology to stay resilient over the coming months and to fuel the creativity and innovation to rebuild in the wake of the pandemic.
At Dell, we’re optimistic about the future and how technology can act as a force for good, helping organisations across Northern Ireland to navigate the coming year. Smart investments in IT can help scale up the success of Irish business and ensure they can truly transform and thrive in our data-decade.
:: Jason Ward is vice-president and managing director of Dell Technologies (Ireland and Northern Ireland)
