Watch: Comtrade on digital transformation and embracing the future

16 Feb 2016

Dejan Cusic, solutions and services business director, Ireland & UK at Comtrade Group – image via Connor McKenna

Comtrade’s Dejan Cusic sits down with Siliconrepublic.com to discuss digital transformation, and where businesses and technology collide.

Digital transformation is a complex concept, requiring consistent upgrading in technology, skills and knowledge.

However, despite it being hard work, digital transformation could be crucial to your business, or even sector, in order for you to keep pace with technology.

How is it judged? Well, according to Dejan Cusic, solutions and services business director (Ireland and UK), with IT solutions player Comtrade Group, it’s all about the timespan between innovation, creation and mass adoption.

It’s a case of different strokes for different folks, says Comtrade

“Different industries are at a different level with regards to digital transformation maturity,” Cusic tells me. “Some of the industries, like media, for example, are very advanced. Others, like energy, are not.”

Cusic predicts that, in a few years, energy customers will be able to buy their power, in real time, from multiple service providers, rather than relying on one contract with ESB, Airtricity or whichever.

“You can see this happening around the world. It’s about using digital capabilities. We can do this.”

As an example, Cusic notes how the car industry is in a tricky spot at the moment, where customers buy cars on a very long product cycle loop, but buy satnavs that are turned around in no time – thus, the technology is up-to-date, but the hardware (car) is not.

On the other hand, banking, which has changed remarkably in the past two decades, is a pioneer in digital transformation, turning its customers around in seconds via online portals.

“We are all lucky to live in a very dynamic and interesting time,” he says, noting innovative digital technology is only as important as the desire to embrace it.

Gordon Hunt was a journalist with Silicon Republic

editorial@siliconrepublic.com