The power of the internet harnessed through mobility, together with the availability of multiplatform and multiscreen content and increasingly smart devices, continues to redefine both the customer experience and their expectations.
The internet and associated applications are now an integral part of everyday life, and if we look closely, everything is becoming increasingly smart and connected. Be it reading news, watching videos, listening to music, connecting through social media or answering business email while on the move, the growing reliance on the internet has created an environment that is conducive to innovation by companies prepared to look beyond their conventional business models.
The information provider IDC notes that the rise of “the connected economy”, with services being provisioned and delivered as applications, has not only disrupted traditional industries such as music and entertainment but has even challenged the business models of well-established companies. Indeed, some of them have vanished as digital upstarts replace their once unshakable dominance. While no sector is immune to the digital phenomenon, the key issue is not whether companies need to make digital technology a strategic priority (that tipping point is now well past) but how they decide to embark upon the digital journey and turn it into a competitive advantage.
The digitally connected world that we are experiencing today can well be equated to scratching the surface of the possibilities around digital innovation in the future. Those businesses that fail to realise innovation, flexibility, and speed of execution are all essential to remaining afloat in a digital economy may not be able to survive the next wave of digital transformation. Be they a telecom operator or a company born on the internet, success in the digital universe will depend upon their ability to identify and deliver a unique user experience and ensure consistent customer engagement with their services.
In addition, IDC believes that monetising the unconventional business models and staying ahead of the competition — when the cost and time required for developing or replicating new services have both drastically reduced — will remain critical for success.
From the telecoms operators’ point of view, digital transformation has become an important factor in their life cycle, to the extent that they need to innovate and respond to changing consumer preferences with new business models; otherwise they will perish or, at best, be limited to becoming a commoditised provider of low-cost bandwidth. The availability of borderless interactive and innovative services is negatively impacting customer consumption patterns for core telecoms services – consumers are increasingly eschewing services such as SMS and voice, in favour of experience-rich digital services. This leaves telecoms operators with a difficult choice – to adapt and innovate or be left out of the digital revolution.
IDC sees enormous possibilities to innovate in sectors such as health care, governance, automotive, education and retail, among others. For telecoms operators, these possibilities translate into an opportunity to forward and backward integrate across the digital value chain. Nevertheless, telecoms operators will need to acquire a central role, and “front-end” the sales channel in order to capitalise on digital opportunities.
These services are delivered over fixed and mobile networks, but telecom operators have little experience in developing, provisioning, and maintaining complex digital solutions independently. Therefore, the success of telecoms operators in the digital world will depend heavily on their ability to develop and maintain partnerships as they compete with companies that were the product of the digital revolution. This would require them to carefully tread the path towards digital transformation with a clear strategy while simultaneously harnessing their strengths and mitigating the challenges.
Nevertheless, as citizens, we should be enthused about the experiences and convenience that the digital future has to offer. Rest assured, the market will continue to experience innovations, which will inevitably contribute to gradual but definitive cultural changes.
Learning from what has been happening around us, we can only imagine the enormous possibilities of the future as the effect of new technology goes further than its direct functionality. For example, when looking for specific information, many people no longer consult books but rely on the internet, which in itself amounts to a shift in culture. Another example is how social media has had an effect on the way we maintain our professional and personal relationships.
It is also clear to IDC that new permutations of technologies such as “Smart Cities” are now beginning to reach the critical mass of innovation. The possibilities across Smart Cities when combined with the “internet-of-Things” are endless, and will continue to usher in new services and deliver a level of convenience that was previously unheard of. Devices, appliances and systems that are increasingly connected also have an intelligence layer build into them. Such connected systems can access situations and trigger an event.
For example, a connected car, home appliance or preventive health monitoring system could trigger an alarm to the nearest available facilities in case of an emergency.
The rate of evolution in this connected universe is so overwhelming that one may now even be tempted to think that we have reached the pinnacle of innovation, with nothing further left to explore. However, I would like to remind those with such beliefs that the digital revolution is just getting started.
Bhanu Chaddha is a senior research analyst for telecoms and media at IDC Middle East, Africa and Turkey
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on Quran memorisation:
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 715bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh1,289,376
On sale: now
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
WRESTLING HIGHLIGHTS
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
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