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

During AI adoption, enterprises face challenges in identifying the right use cases, data sets and business processes and while mapping it with customer benefits in terms of revenue, convenience and experience. AI systems can behave unpredictably. A badly implemented AI system can lead to objectionable consequences, including privacy breach. Cloud is a powerful technology disruptor that constantly challenges the existing IT landscape, compelling enterprises to adopt newer cloud-based paradigms or risk losing the game. But with so many options available, choosing the right migration partner, the right service model, the best-suited deployment option, and the type of workload to be moved is of paramount significance. Ensuring data privacy and security in cloud adoption is another crucial parameter for consideration. Today’s digital business environment comes with high risks that will go beyond information technology. As or­ganisations continue to grow in their digital journey, the necessary security measures need to be put in place to prevent any damage, and not just in the organisation but across all entities that form a part of the value chain.

“Cloud is a powerful technology disruptor that constantly challenges the existing IT landscape.”
Vivian Gomes

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

Some of the key trends that will have an impact on our business and industry in 2018 are AI and edge computing. Enterpri­s­­es will apply data-driven intelligence to automated machine learning in order to achieve business goals. Further, edge computing implementations will continue to accelerate, and early adopters are learning how to leverage the full value of the edge for better and not just cheaper outcomes.