The turn of the millennium ushered in a new era of digital transformation that has endlessly grown and developed in every corner of society. And while digitalisation in the business world could easily be dismissed as an optional extra – and certainly not a priority – in those early years, nowadays, technology and digitalisation are key to remaining competitive.

Despite that, many companies still aren’t fully aware of the importance of the digital transformation. Some choose to delay it, some make excuses, while others only do half a job. At the other end of the spectrum, organisations that have fully grasped the crucial role of corporate digitalisation are easy to spot, having invested a great deal of resources – economic, technical and human – in sustaining IT departments that are genuinely “fit for purpose”. But regardless of the company involved – whether big or small, long-established or fresh faced – it’s often necessary to turn to a strategic partner, usually outside the organisation, to complement efforts around some key issues. 

Data security, often a blindspot in corporate digitalisation

Going all in on digital transformation means taking a major leap forward. Not just in terms of how a business operates day to day, but also in its corporate culture. Seeing information and “Big Data” as another precious raw material to be utilised in the production process is often the key to successful technological transformation.

But it also means understanding the nature of this new raw material, including its potential to completely transform strategies and processes, as well as its fragility in areas such as security, consistency and privacy. Many organisations fall into the trap of beginning a comprehensive digital transformation process before they really understand or pay enough attention to the importance of data security.

Successful companies often turn to technology partners who specialise in security to manage the vast amounts of data they hold, either through specific applications designed to protect data, or through storage, access and control solutions. These can even include encryption, auditing and 360° protection systems. Or a combination of them all.

Advanced digitalisation services for the most challenging circumstances

The services mentioned above are typically most in demand – or most commonly applied – in companies that embark on their digital transformations with a serious and responsible approach. For these organisations, technology partners need to be able to offer what we call “advanced solutions”. What do these services involve? They cover all needs as and when they arise, whether directly or indirectly, during the highly demanding digital transformation process.

At this level of digitalisation expertise, it’s no longer about simply upgrading equipment or improving connectivity. Instead, it involves, among other things:

• Commissioning, installing and maintaining dedicated data centres.
• Managing and implementing both virtual and physical security measures related to digitalisation.
• Protecting and managing digital rights.
• Designing specific applications for working in the Cloud.
• Protecting data facilities and equipment from attacks or accidents.
• Designing augmented reality applications.
• Maintaining a high performance 24/7 technical and professional support service.
• And more.

The list of services, facilities, equipment, staff and knowledge to cover such a wide range of possibilities is practically endless and is one that never stops growing, if you consider how some technological advancements, such as those related to artificial intelligence, aspire to completely overhaul the way we see the digital world in the very near future. Companies providing these “advanced services” look set to be some of the busiest organisations over the next few years.