The Savvy Innovators, Presented by BMC Software

The Buzz 1: Recent data suggests that the Great Resignation has become the “great talent re-shuffle.” While 4.4 million Americans quit their jobs in February 2022, more than half are switching occupation or field of work, rather than leaving the labor force altogether…While compensation has always been a reason to change jobs, there are a host of other issues emerging from a company’s culture, leadership and for front line workers, an unpredictable work schedule. [forbes dot com] The Buzz 2: Organizations are more vulnerable than ever to facing a depleted workforce.…a growing number of enterprises are deploying digital employee experience tools and services to support a modern workforce. [computerworld dot com] The Buzz 3: It’s almost unimaginable to think of the modern workplace without the impact of technology in all its various formats. Fortunately, the myriad of new technologies available is having a measurable impact on something which has become a hot topic of late – ‘Happiness Levels’. [blog dot firefishsoftware dot com] Yes! Employees have always been – and will continue to be – the lifeblood of any business, including yours. But today, it’s a brave new world for employers and employees. The aptly titled “Great Resignation” and “Great Reshuffle” have reordered how and where employees work, what they want to be doing, how they do or do not bring their energy and commitment to your organization’s work. The good news: Employers have access to an array of tools to deliver better, intuitive, modern experiences that reduce employees’ toil and free them to work on projects and tasks that tap their intellect and creativity. Satisfied—and happy—employees are the very best brand ambassadors to your customers. As they thrive, so does your business. We'll ask Lynn Moffett at BMC and Jin Zhang at Meta for their take on Delighting Employees and Improving the Business Through Modern Digital Experiences.

The Buzz 1: IDC’s recent Global DataSphere Forecast, 2021-2025, predicts that global data creation and replication will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23% over the forecast period, leaping to 181 zettabytes in 2025. That’s up from 64.2 zettabytes of data in 2020 which is a tenfold increase from the 6.5 zettabytes in 2012. [idc.com] The Buzz 2: One zettabyte is equivalent to 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (1021) bytes or about 250 billion DVDs. What’s causing the growth? The jump in 2020 was caused by people accessing online resources from home for work, learning and entertainment, but less than 2% of new data was saved. The remainder was created for immediate consumption and not stored for future use, or temporarily cached and then overwritten with more new data. [red-gate.com] Here's the scoop: Data is everywhere, in everything we do. All of this data can be a veritable goldmine for businesses that understand how to capture, save, analyze and use it correctly – easier said than done. Can your organization become more data-driven by harnessing the power of disparate data to make sense of it and extrapolate actionable insights? What about deriving value from the data you collect? We’ll ask Savvy Innovators Phil Vincenzes, Maria F. Glenski and Jenny Glenski for their insights on overcoming challenges with large data sets, how different industries optimize their data, and the potential value data can bring to your technology and human interactions. Tune in for What Is The True Value of Your Data?

The Buzz 1: Dozens of pop, rock, R&B, hip-hop, country, jazz, and disco song titles include the word “edge”, such as: Darkness on the Edge of Town by Bruce Springsteen, Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks, and “Living on the Edge” by Aerosmith. But in our tech-driven world, what does it mean? The Buzz 2: Simply put, edge computing reduces the volumes of data that need to be moved and the distance that data needs to travel…less traffic…quicker data movement… reduced transmission costs. Add 5G – and edge computing is the future! [www.theceomagazine.com] Organizations in every industry are seizing the opportunities that edge computing and IoT present. Soon, edge and IoT infrastructure, pervasive connectivity, and lower technology costs will ensure that people, devices, and data can communicate, collaborate, and innovate more efficiently and affordably. On August 16, 2022, Part 1 of this globally relevant topic explored the factors for a successful IoT strategy, the necessity of digital twins and how to focus on securing data at the edge. On Part 2, we’ll ask Sam Lakkundi, Tom Soderstrom, Angela Nicoara and Aditya Varma for their insights on how IoT will drive innovation in the telecom space with 5G and 6G, how it can impact the future of the workplace, and which industries are already evolving and innovating with IoT and edge computing. Tune in for The Future of IoT and Edge Computing: Sooner Than You Think – Part 2.

The Buzz 1: Dozens of pop, rock, R&B, hip-hop, country, jazz, and disco songs have been written with the word “edge”, with different interpretations, most famously Darkness on the Edge of Town by Bruce Springsteen, Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks, and Living on the Edge by Aerosmith. But in our tech-driven world, what does it mean? The Buzz 2: Edge computing reduces the volumes of data that need to be moved and the distance that data needs to travel…less traffic…quicker movement of data…reduction in transmission costs. [theceomagazine.com] Now imagine a wonderous world where your connected home, car, and energy provider can all work together to run more efficiently, lower your energy bill, and help reduce the impact on climate change. That day is coming faster than you think. Digital transformation is factoring into strategic planning as more business leaders examine their goals and how technology can help them improve existing products and services, and expand into new areas. As part of that digital-first evolution, edge computing and Internet of Things (IoT) are experiencing increased adoption by enterprises and consumers alike, from doorbell cameras and smartwatches to sensors on windmills and in fleets of cars. Organizations across every industry are beginning to seize on the opportunities edge computing and IoT present. A January 2022 IDC report predicted worldwide edge spending to hit $176Bn—up 14.8 percent over 2021—and to reach nearly $274Bn by 2025. Soon, edge and IoT infrastructure, pervasive connectivity, and lower technology costs will ensure that people, devices, and data can communicate, collaborate, and innovate efficiently and affordably. We’ll ask Sam Lakkundi, Tom Soderstrom, Angela Nicoara and Aditya Varma for their insights on The Future of IoT and Edge Computing: Sooner Than You Think.

The Buzz 1: “Be a global citizen. Act with passion and compassion. Help us make this world safer and more sustainable today and for the generations that will follow us. That is our moral responsibility.” [UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon on the UN’s adoption of a new set of global Sustainable Development Goals for 2016-2030] The Buzz 2: “There is no ‘Plan B’ because we do not have a ‘Planet B.’ We have to work and galvanize our action.” What if every Autonomous Digital Enterprise (ADE) recognized corporate social responsibility (CSR) as an organizational imperative with the power to reshape the business landscape – instead of a “nice to have maybe one day”? Investing in and establishing CSR and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives through purpose-driven programs can help companies like yours do more than just become better global citizens. By aligning with stakeholders’ key values, they also become businesses that customers want to buy from and organizations that employees want to work for. Reality check: CSR is neither a department nor a function. It’s a collective purpose shared by a committed team that includes employees, customers, partners, and the communities where they work and live. One path to that purpose is aligning business planning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), which support the UN’s vision of improving lives through the promotion of social progress and sustainable development. The SDGs build on decades of work by countries and the UN, including the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Cascading CSR and ESG initiatives across your organization—from product and service development to the employee experience—can be a game-changer for your business. We’ll ask experts Wendy Rentschler and Nathaniel Comer for their insights on Changing the Game through Corporate Social Responsibility.

The Buzz 1: “Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that superimposes digital information over the user’s view using a device like a smartphone or smart tablet.…to enhance the user’s experience with the environment. Virtual Reality (VR) is technology that occludes the user’s sight and places the user in a virtual environment through a head-mounted device called a VR headset. Everything the user hears or sees is synthetic…to fully immerse the user in a different environment.” [futures.3m.com] The future of innovation in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) isn’t restricted to the metaverse, mobile apps, and games! Enterprises now can tap into this emerging technology to drive business value, interact with employees and customers in new ways, gather and visualize operational data – and make the impossible possible. The Buzz 2: “More than 150 companies in multiple industries, including 52 of the Fortune 500, are testing or have deployed AR/VR solutions” [Deloitte Insights]. “The market for AR and VR in retail will reach $ 1.6 billion by 2025” [Goldman Sachs Forecasts]. [42gears.com] But as with all boundary-pushing technology, enterprises need to consider the top-of-mind challenges of accessibility, sustainability and privacy. The Buzz 3: “AR collects a lot of information about who the user is and what they are doing – to a much greater extent than social media networks.” [usa.kaspersky.com] We’ll ask Eric Anderson at BMC Software, Rob Petrosino at Peak Activity, and Ofer Baharav at Villa, for their insights about the future of AR/VR and the metaverse, on AR vs. VR In The Enterprise: The Art of The Possible.

The Buzz 1: “Digital transformation, while this isn’t a one app [solution], it’s a must-have. Organizations and governments around the world have a digital transformation imperative like never before.” (Marc Benioff, Salesforce) The Buzz 2: “We think it’s really a new era requiring new strategies.” (Saul Berman, IBM Global Business Services) The Buzz 3: “What is coming at us is bigger than the original internet and you need to understand it, get on board with it and figure out how to transform your business.” (Tim O’Reilly, O’Reilly Media) The Buzz 4: “Digital transformation requires changes to processes and thinking—changes that span your internal organizational silos.” (George Westerman, MIT Sloan School of Management) Yes, the past few years have changed all of our priorities, and business is no exception. To successfully navigate ongoing disruption and drive business growth, organizations in every industry are optimizing their existing technology – all while investing in innovation capabilities; improving employees’ work experience to attract and retain talent; expanding their data and analytics capabilities to inform better decision making; and demonstrating a commitment to ESG (environmental, social, and governance) initiatives to improve performance and reduce operational risk. What steps is your business taking to stay ahead of the curve? We’ll ask Bill Corrigan, VP Technology Strategy and Advocacy at BMC Software and Surya Panditi, former CEO Enel X North America, for their take on the key tenets of strategic, effective, and lasting digital transformation on Driving Business Results with Digital Transformation.