Enterprises enhanced their investments in telecom and IT infrastructure in a bid to further their digital transformation journey. The adoption of next-generation technologies including the cloud, internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and big data gained traction with organisations increasingly relying on them to drive cost and operational efficiencies. There was also a growing interest in augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), robotics, blockchain and 3D printing. However, as enterprises transition to new technologies, security is emerging as a major concern. The IT heads of leading enterprises discuss the key challenges and their technology roadmap for 2018…

What were the key technology trends witnessed in the enterprise space during 2017?

With the availability of high speed and low-cost internet, the expectation of being connected at all times has increased. The need of the hour is to stay connected anytime, anywhere. Therefore, in order to provide ubiquitous internet connectivity, orga­­ni­sations have inducted best of communi­cati­ons set-ups and connected the business en­vironment with a seamless network to en­­able stakeholders to stay connected in a se­c­ure manner. They have also introduced mobility-enabled applications so that stakeholders can use their mobile devices for th­e­­­ir enterprise mobility needs. This, in tu­rn, has helped organisations to better inte­­grate the workforce, processes and response time.

What is the level of adoption of new technologies such as cloud, big data analytics and IoT among Indian enterprises?

Earlier, the adoption rate of new technologies by Indian enterprises was fairly low. We used to talk about ways to bring the social, mobile, analytics and cloud (SMAC) platform into business ecosystems and ensure its timely adoption. That said, organisations that have successfully adopted these technologies are already reaping their benefits. Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL) has strong credentials in the adoption of the SMAC platform and has been a pioneer in the adoption of IoT. We ensure that at each stage of power generation and distribution, we capture data in real time and publish it on the mobile apps for faster decision-making. Similarly, we have implemented IoT solutions at our plant in Odisha, to manage our production efficiently and optimise inventories.

“Trends like the speedy deployment of SMAC, and the use of intelligent algorithms and machine learning will impact the manufacturing sector.”
Vipul Anand

What are the key challenges faced while adopting and managing new technologies?

The manufacturing sector continues to face numerous challenges when it comes to managing the IT infrastructure or deploying new technologies. These in­clude the reluctance of stakeholders to dep­­loy new digital solutions; the ever-evol­ving business needs and urgency to implement solutions; complex and geographically spread business locations that need seamless connectivity; maintaining low cost of IT solutions; ensuring the security of IT platforms; and employing quality IT professionals to manage such technologies.

Which technology trends are likely to domin­ate the enterprise space in 2018?

Trends like the speedy deployment of the SMAC platform, the use of intelligent algorithms and machine learning, the induction of AI and robotics, and the optimisation of manual data inputs will impact the manufacturing sector.