According to a recent survey conducted by EMC Corporation, over 90 per cent of business leaders in Nigeria have identified information technology as a strategic lever for business growth.
The survey of 528 business and technology decision makers across Nigeria’s private and public sectors revealed that more than 80 percent of respondents agree that their organisations recognise the increasing role of automation, such as software defined storage, as critical to business growth.
The study also revealed that roughly 96 percent of respondents expect next-generation technologies such as Mobile, Social, Cloud Computing and Big Data to give their organisations a competitive advantage, and that these new technologies will impact key aspects of business, including improving customer experience, managing mission-critical business operations and building new products and services.
The results of the survey were revealed at this year’s EMC Forum, which was held in Lagos. The Forum showcased the transformation required by organisations in order to remain competitive and seize new opportunities in the coming era of data explosion. The event saw top decision makers and IT professionals from different organisations brainstorming on the latest challenges and trends in the industry. Participants were also provided with information on how to harness the latest IT developments in Big Data, Cloud Computing, Information Security and related services, towards enabling their organisations meet the demands of the dynamic global IT landscape.
EMC’s General Manager for West Africa, Mr Rasheed Ola Jimoh, said that the survey results reflect heightened interest in third platform technologies by Nigerian organisations. “Enterprises across Nigeria are realising the value that can be derived from technologies such as Cloud Computing and Big Data. These technologies form a bedrock for driving agility and engaging the connected consumer. As the transition to third platform commences, IT departments will find themselves open to new opportunities to innovate and truly fuel business transformation,” he said.
Jimoh underscored the need for organisations to take a more cloud-centric approach to business, against the backdrop of changing customer expectations arising from the emergence of new, always-on technology platforms.
“Consumer expectations have undergone a radical shift. They now expect to interact not only with each other, but with a multitude of organisations, via mobile devices and at the speed of now. To remain relevant and competitive, organisations across every industry are reinventing their business models to handle unprecedented levels of access, interaction and scale. For this reason, IT finds itself back in the driver’s seat, morphing from cost centre to a true catalyst for change through the use of cloud and Big Data technologies,” he explained.
He added that EMC’s long-established reputation as a global leader in helping businesses and service providers transform their operations places the organisation at a vantage position for facilitating Nigeria’s transition to an IT-driven economy.
Staff Writer
