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How has technology changed over the last 25 years? Are you prepared for the next wave of tech innovation?
When NashTech first opened its doors in 2000, technology played a very different role in business. Mobile phones were luxury items, businesses were beginning to use the internet and IT departments were seen as back-office support functions.
Today, technology has become one of the greatest business differentiators. Tech innovations like AI, automation and cloud computing have come into fashion, and stayed, and enterprises are leading with a digital first mindset.
Throughout the years, we've seen many tech innovations come and go, some more profound than others.
Here’s a look at some of the most impactful technologies of the past twenty-five years and how you, as an IT leader, can prepare for future tech innovations.
The three most impactful tech innovations of the past 25 years
1. Cloud computing has reimagined IT infrastructure
It’s no surprise, cloud computing stands out as one of the most impactful tech innovations. First making headway in the early 2000s, cloud computing has delivered the highest ROI of any technology investment over the past three years. Today, 96% of organisations worldwide use cloud computing in some form (whether that’s hybrid, public, or private).
Cloud computing has fundamentally changed how organisations scale and operate, replacing physical, costly, high-maintenance on-premises data centres with flexible cloud-based solutions. This shift has been particularly beneficial for startups, who often lack the capital for substantial hardware investments.
Cloud computing unlocks new business growth by:
- Removing costly and hard-to-maintain on-premises infrastructure
- Providing flexibility and agility to launch products faster
- Meeting customer demands through better digital experiences
- Enabling real-time scalability to address changing demands, (e.g., allowing insurers to manage sudden increases in claims activity)
MarkerStudy Distribution (MSD), a leading insurance provider, has felt the benefits of migrating to the cloud. In partnership with NashTech, MSD successfully re-architected and migrated their legacy Prospero applications to a hybrid Azure cloud environment, enhancing their scalability and performance, reducing costs and increasing operational agility. Read the full story.
Ready to migrate to the cloud? Learn the 7 key steps to cloud readiness.
2. Big data and advanced analytics for smarter decision-making
Once a must-have in every data professional's toolkit, basic spreadsheets and static reports are now relics of the past. Advances in storage, processing power, distributed computing and cloud computing have catapulted big data and IoT, transforming how organisations make decisions.
Today, organisations have access to substantial amounts of real-time data, enabling them to gain better insights into customer behaviour, optimise processes, develop more intelligent products and predict trends with greater accuracy. According to Deloitte, 49% of organisations have adopted data-driven decision-making, and those who have are five times more likely to make faster, more accurate decisions.
Tech innovations like machine learning and automation are supercharging this effect. These technologies analyse large datasets quickly and accurately, uncovering hidden patterns that might be missed by humans and automating decision-making. As such, turning untapped data into a powerful business asset.
Watch an interview with NashTech’s Director of Technology and Solutions, George Lynch, to learn how data can be the lifeblood of your business.
For Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), unlocking the value of their data had been a longstanding challenge. With billions of sensors in data centres generating massive volumes of data daily, HPE was missing valuable opportunities to leverage it. To overcome this, HPE partnered with NashTech to transform its InfoSight platform, shifting from traditional batch processing to real-time data pipelines. This transformation enabled HPE to deliver faster, more proactive insights, allowing them to predict and prevent issues before they occur.
See how HPE is leveraging data for success and delivering greater customer value.
3. AI and automation are streamlining operations
AI and automation are two disruptive tech innovations in recent years and often go hand in hand. According to McKinsey, 72% of companies have already implemented AI, and the global AI market is set to reach $267 billion by 2027.
For tech leaders, AI and automation provide opportunities to enhance efficiency, unlock new business models, personalise customer experiences and drive smarter, data-driven decisions. In industries like insurance for example, AI and automation are streamlining claims processing, predicting risks with greater accuracy and providing personalised policies based on real-time data. All leading to greater value for customers and operational efficiency.
Unified, a digital advertising firm, has implemented automation to streamline its operations. Employees were being held back by repetitive and manual tasks that reduced creativity and slowed operations. Partnering with NashTech to implement Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Unified automated these time-consuming tasks, allowing their team to focus on higher value activities. As a result, they increased operational efficiency and achieved faster project delivery.
See how automation transformed Unified’s operations.
Source: Nash Squared Digital Leadership Report 2023
4 non-negotiables for staying ahead of future tech innovations
Agentic AI, GenAI and edge computing are already on the horizon. But many organisations are still stuck trying to maximise or fix the tech they already have.
Keeping pace with new technologies has never been more important to survive in the marketplace. To prepare your organisation for future tech innovations, our technology experts share key tips to ‘future-proof’ your business.
1. Work with a technology partner
The reality is, you don’t have to manage every tech innovation by yourself. Using internal resources to scan market trends might not be the best use of your time. Instead, build strong partnerships with trusted technology experts who monitor the tech landscape as part of their core work. They can offer valuable insights on what’s relevant for your organisation, what’s just noise and how to effectively implement new technologies.
For example, we work closely with UK insurtech, CDL, to explore new tools and approaches (like AI) and identify opportunities to integrate them into their operations. It’s an ongoing journey where we continuously evolve our partnership, skills and technologies together.
Explore why NashTech is the trusted partner for driving tech innovation.
2. Adopt AI driven innovation
92% of companies are planning to increase AI investments over the next three years. If you’re not already using AI or in the process of implementing it, you're already falling behind. Step back and assess your current AI strategy. Where can you integrate AI further into existing solutions? (for example, in cloud services or automated processes). How can AI open up new opportunities in your organisation? Can it solve business-critical challenges?
This lateral way of thinking will help you identify new revenue opportunities, deliver customer value faster and overcome business challenges. Ultimately strengthening your market position.
3. Invest in AI-ready talent and continuous learning
Traditional tech skills like cloud computing, DevOps and automation remain important. But AI is quickly becoming the new frontier in modern software development.
To best support future AI-driven innovation, you need to invest in and nurture the right technical skillsets. And you need to start now. Start creating programmes to continuously upskill employees in AI, data and AI-augmented development. One way is by introducing AI training into your onboarding process for software engineers. Certifications, training programmes and AI-powered learning platforms should also be high up on your priority list to keep your teams prepared for changes in the AI space.
4. Build a data-driven culture
The organisations winning today are those that treat data as one of their core business assets. According to the Digital Leadership Report by Nash Squared, nearly two-thirds of digital leaders consider big data and analytics crucial for gaining a competitive edge. But only 20% believe they’re using data effectively to drive revenue.
Closing this gap requires a shift within your organisation towards a truly data-driven culture, starting with data governance, data literacy and analytics. You need to invest time in creating and maintaining high-quality datasets that support modern tech innovations and ensure your teams have the right skills and technologies to leverage them effectively.
Read the five key principles for data insight success.
Prepare for the next tech innovation with NashTech
The next 25 years are sure to bring in new tech innovations. As an IT leader, it’s critical to stay ahead by leading change, upskilling your workforce and partnering with experts to future-proof your organisation.
The real question is, what’s next for your business?
Partner with NashTech to future-proof your organisation with the latest in AI, cloud and automation technologies.
