Digital Transformation now the first priority for every business
Bangkok, 7 February 2017 – Microsoft Thailand has joined forces with its business partners to share the latest insights for a successful digital transformation journey in the “Solution Summit 2017” event. Held under the theme of “Digital Transformation in Action,” the event showcased the full range of Microsoft technologies and solutions that will drive Thai businesses forward in the era of the fourth Industrial Revolution.
Now into its third annual edition and hosted at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, the Solution Summit event welcomed over 1,000 business and IT decision makers from 600 companies and state agencies, including 38 Microsoft partners. The Summit provided opportunities for all parties to exchange perspectives on digital transformation – a process that does not simply end with IT system upgrades but also cover major shifts across four key dimensions of business: engaging customers, empowering employees, optimizing business, and transforming products / services.
Orapong Thien-Ngern, General Manager, Microsoft (Thailand) Limited, said, “While digital transformation has been widely discussed and highly regarded as important among experts and businesses today, the reality is that the actual transformation process is not happening quickly enough. Furthermore, companies face mounting pressure from all directions, including from fluctuating economic conditions and the arrival of new, highly agile competitors, as our world heads towards the fourth Industrial Revolution and into an era that is truly digital.
“Organizations today should anticipate the major changes to come instead of simply adapting to current trends for survival. They have to question the way they are currently doing business and gather data for in-depth analysis to seek out new perspectives that drive decisions and strategies,” added Orapong. “A successful digital transformation requires technologies that take an organization’s capabilities to the next level. This includes advanced data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, the Internet of Things, or even augmented and virtual reality – all of which are technologies that can take businesses in interesting directions.”
Dr. Santi Kiranand, Senior Executive Vice President, Head of Issuer Marketing Division, Stock Exchange of Thailand, said of the digital transformation trend in Thailand: “Today, technological innovations are playing a more prominent role in the business world. Many listed companies have actively adopted digital strategies to increase the company’s performance and capability. The Stock Exchange of Thailand has harnessed the power of technology to enhance operational performance and service capacity across the board. Investors can now gain access to data sources and tools for online investments, various services, or even a platform for business networking. Furthermore, listed companies are actively encouraged to take advantage of digital technologies. We have been organizing ‘IT Futures for Listed Company’ seminars to provide updates on the latest technological innovations in the business world – including matters such as cloud adoption, data analytics, or ERP on cloud – with over 300 IT personnel in attendance. It is clear that Thai listed companies are actively interested and investing in digital technologies to strengthen themselves, and the Stock Exchange of Thailand is ready to empower them to keep up with the pace of technological changes under the guidance of the government’s Digital Economy policy and Thailand 4.0 strategy.”
Nontawat Poomchusri, Managing Director of Accenture Thailand, added, “Last year, virtually all companies in every business sector made investments or developed plans to transform the organization in response to the effect of digital disruption. We can see this clearly in the rise of new startups that turn their strengths in agility and flexibility into competitiveness, and bigger companies are now reexamining the way they do things in order to choose the right technology to take them into the digital age.
“At Accenture, we have identified five major trends that drive change in the business world: Intelligent Automation, Liquid Workforce, Platform Economy, Predictable Disruption, and the ability for people to adapt to technology and achieve the best result at work. Today, over 86% of businesses are already aware that digital innovations will have deep and widespread impact over the next three years.
“Based on our direct experience in supporting the successful transformation of many companies, we determined that the ability for employees, partners, and technologies to function together harmoniously is a very important element. The biggest challenge lies with the leader who has to take the organization forward to success. With a strong, visionary, and collaborative figure in the leading role, a company can smoothly navigate the initial phase of its transformation and lay the groundwork for further changes as well as successes. In 2017, the first thing every company should do is to develop their human resources and define clear goals and roles for optimal integration of workforce and technology with support from the company’s leaders in both technological and business aspects,” concluded Nontawat.
Pratthana Leelapanang, Acting Chief Marketing Officer, Advanced Info Service PCL, said, “In addition to new strategies and perspectives, businesses across all sizes and sectors need a digital infrastructure that can drive their success. As Thailand’s leading network operator and digital service provider, AIS is ready to support the development of both public and private sectors at every level to take the country forward under the Thailand 4.0 policy. We have developed a full digital infrastructure to elevate the quality of our network and service to the next level, allowing our customers to take advantage of advanced technologies and new capabilities to compete and transform for the digital age. We have enhanced our mobile, Super Wifi, and fixed broadband networks from using the best technologies in their respective class to become the first gigabit network that is ready for the transition to 5G technology. Additionally, we have developed a digital service platform that covers four aspects – including video, cloud, mobile payment, and IoT. In order to fulfill the requirements of the business sector, which is the heart of our economic growth, AIS has joined hands with Microsoft to deliver enhanced cthe performance of Microsoft cloud services on the best network from AIS. Our customers will be able to use advanced features in services such as Office 365 or the Microsoft Azure cloud platform with optimal performance – from simple tasks such as sending and receiving emails to big data analytics or video conferencing.”
