Critical, enabling technologies have advanced in several areas including high-speed mobile networks, cloud computing, Internet of Things and artificial intelligence. These enabling technologies have created product/service innovations in areas such as autonomous vehicles, virtual assistants and recommendation engines which have transformed consumer experiences, enterprises and more broadly society.
Current events including COVID-19 have changed the concept of “place” – where we work, where we shop, where we are entertained, where we are educated… etc. As a result, these events have accelerated adoption of technology in numerous areas - contracting typical adoption rates from several years to several months. This has created notable adoption and ongoing innovation opportunities in areas including videoconferencing, e-commerce, telehealth, digital streaming and online education.
One of the most relevant questions today is, “what will be the new normal?” While in most cases human beings have a desire to return to what was “normal,” in reality a new, hybrid environment may exist for many sectors including retail, healthcare, entertainment and education. Current, greater penetration levels of e-commerce, telehealth, and digital streaming may not fully revert back to original states creating both opportunities and challenges for many organizations. In addition, a growing “techlash” existing areas such as data privacy, digital divide and the future of work which require leadership focus to ensure further technology adoption maximizes benefits and reduces unintended consequences.
This address will cover latest trends, innovation opportunities, and leadership imperatives navigating in an environment where technology has taken an even greater role in the lives of consumers, enterprises and society.