FEATURE : DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY to customers in other regions who might be targeted by similar attacks ,” he said .
Miljan Stamenkovic , Regional Director , Mambu , explained that CIOs have the opportunity to play a pivotal role as technology plays an increasingly critical role in driving growth , innovation and business line executives rely more heavily on their IT peers for insights and guidance .
“ The key for CIOs is to embrace fintech partnerships and provide the right technology guidance that will empower the business . The business requirements should always drive technology choices , not the other way around ,” he said .
Sami Nashwan , Senior Vice President Strategy , Huawei Middle East , said the transformational impact of intelligent connectivity is the combination of the powerful convergence of broadband connectivity , 5G , the next generation of network , cloud , IoT and AI that represents the next stage of Digital Transformation . “ Underpinned by the emergence of AI , intelligent connectivity is shaping a future where everything is beginning to act , react and collaborate wirelessly and seamlessly with human preferences , commands and intentions ,” he said .
“ We expect 5G networks to reach critical mass for the world ’ s population much faster than 3G and 4G . As 5G ’ s global uptake grows , it is predicted that starting from 2025 , it will begin to converge with other technologies that enable intelligent connectivity such as cloud , IoT , AI , Big Data , virtual and Augmented Reality .”
Sami Nashwan , Senior Vice President Strategy , Huawei Middle East
Stamenkovic said digital disruption essentially changes the nature of business models . According to him , those business models are often enabled by cutting edge digital technologies and Digital Transformation projects .
“ Historically , CIOs have held responsibility for maintaining security and oversight of the organisation ’ s IT .”
With advances in disruptive technology transforming life , business and the regional economy , industry pundits believe the Middle East is in a prime position to benefit from digital disruption happening across various industry sectors .
Walid Yehia , Senior Director , Presales – Middle East , Russian , Africa and Turkey ( MERAT ), Dell Technologies , said disruptive technologies are transforming products and services in ways that the market never expected . Yehia said disruptive technologies have seeped into different aspects of everyday life and created the potential for organisations to continually grow and push boundaries .
“ Consumers are under the spotlight , often driving the trends and reaping the benefits of enhanced technologies ,” he said . “ Businesses are striving to stay ahead of the game , with disruption dramatically reshaping the competitive landscape for many industries . The nature of work as we know it has required continuous updating of skill-sets , to keep up with the technologies creating new jobs that did not exist before .”
Yehia said with less legacy infrastructure and fewer investments in older technologies , developing economies in the MEA region are becoming the latest-adopters of the most effective technologies . “ We are seeing this across economies in the Middle East , with high consumer digital penetration and the governments ’ shift towards developing Smart Cities ,” he said .
Going forward , Yehia believes there will be two main drivers of disruptive technology adoption in the Middle East .
“ First , the governments and the other is the start-up culture being created . Middle East governments have already begun the move towards digitisation initiatives and the implementation of national visions that support the advancement of technology . This opens new avenues for them to enhance policies and legislation for adopting these technologies in different sectors ,” he said . •
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THE INTRODUCTION OF BENEFICIAL TECHNOLOGICAL DISRUPTION . www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO
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