‘Technology Will Enable Digital Transformation in Africa’

Technology experts, who gathered at the ongoing Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain has advised business owners across Africa and beyond to adopt new technology, noting that current technology adoption and deployment are the sure ways to enhance digital transformation in business.

They explained that global adoption of technology, was responsible for the two billion global connections recorded recently by the GSMA, through its mobile-based authentication solution that is now available to customers.

Speaking at a panel session on Tuesday at the Mobile World Congress, with the theme: ‘The New Digital Operator’, the Chief Executive Officer, Consumer, at Telefonica, Michael Duncan, called on telecommunications operators, who want to remain in business, to continue to embrace digital transformation, through the use of modern technology tools like cloud computing, big data analytics, among others. According to him, surviving telecoms operators who started operations with fixed voice service delivery, had since moved from fixed voice to mobile voice and currently to mobile data, because of the dynamics of the business.

“Digital transformation is key to any business growth, be it telecoms or banking. We must have leaders who have the ability to understand business development and growth, who are resilient to drive business success and deploy new technology that will enhance business,” Duncan said.

He listed business priorities that would help to achieve digital transformation across businesses, to include the development of 4G and 5G network, bundling of contents in mobile and fixed telecoms services, monitisation of the growth of business data, creating digitalised engagement channels for customers and embarking on big data and technology innovation, among others.

The Chief Marketing Officer, MTS Group, Vasyl Latsanyth who also spoke at the Tuesday panel session, said business owners must create the right applications that would enable them achieve digital transformation.

According to him, under

today’s business and financial pressures, no organisation could afford to stand still. We have already heard auto makers, financial houses and many others describe themselves as digital companies, and now telecoms operators are beginning to describe themselves as becoming digital service providers. “What does that mean in practice to the operators and what changes in business model, technology, and business practices must they adopt to realise the aim of becoming successful digital service providers,” Latsanyth asked.