As he settles into his new role as CEO of ASX-listed Data#3, Laurence Baynham has revealed what he thinks are the top trends to keep an eye on this year.
First on the agenda is an increase in the adoption and maturing of public cloud from global players. This will also lead to an increase in services, but decrease in prices. Complexity for customers will be based on deciding which workloads reside where and how they will be managed and integrated at the lowest cost and with the lowest risk.
Next up was a new breed of ‘light’ applications for the cloud that will become lower cost, easier to use and take less time to deploy.
“Gone are the days of monolithic ERP projects that drag on for months and years,” Baynham said. “Similar to public cloud, the main challenge will be in relation to the integration and management of multiple best of breed applications.”
He also highlighted that the channel will become more important for global players as they seek to reduce their cost of sale along with helping customers achieve their business outcomes, leading towards stronger customer relationships.
“Companies will be more open to risk/reward projects where risks and rewards for achieving business outcomes are shared,” he said.
On the technology front, mobility will continue to make its impact on business, transforming many industries as well as the Internet of Things that will lead towards more connected and smarter devices.
In November, current managing director, John Grant, announced his decision to step down after 18 years at the helm.
He will depart the company at the end of this year, transitioning all of the operational responsibilities to Baynham.
Grant will maintain a strong involvement with Data#3 as a supportive shareholder and as chairman of the board of Discovery Technology and a member of the advisory board of Business Aspect.
