By Kym Lim
The author is the Managing Director of HP Malaysia
The era of digitalisation is upon us, and every industry, regardless of customer sections and business streams, will embrace this innovation for better or worse. Digital technologies, as we know it, can drive programmatic solutions and accelerate innovation concurrently, by enabling data collection and exchanges.
The pre-determined notion of digital technology being relevant only to tech companies is obsolete as this mainstay cuts across all business industries and economic sectors companies in the corporate environments.
Digital transformation is accessible and viable for all businesses – from improving processes, engaging talented employees across the company, to driving new and profitable business models. A research from Gartner also predicts that a lack of digital business competence could cause 25% of businesses to lose competitive ranking in 2017.
In a nutshell, today’s world is more interconnected than ever before. Our society has a staggering number of technological gizmos and mechanical gadgets at our disposal – we are not just talking about Malaysia, but globally as well. However, while digital transformation has brought upon socio-economic and geopolitical advantages, where businesses and economic sectors are seen capitalising on digital technology, we cannot escape the reality of a digitally dependent society.
Cybersecurity in the World Today
We are becoming more reliant on modern technology, and because of that, we have made ourselves more vulnerable to cyberattacks – which encapsulates corporate security breaches, spear phishing, and social media fraud. This emphasises the significant need for cybersecurity implementations and law enforcement, which are critical to safeguarding and securing organisational assets.
Businesses should refrain from prematurely writing off cyber security threats as part of human error, as the risks related to human element stem from negligence, accidents, or even malicious intents (in some cases). Still, no matter how you look at it, businesses can no longer afford to suffer the repercussions of cyberattacks – from a financial and reputational perspective. The question that begs now is, what can we do to mitigate this growing concern?
Reinventing Security to Tackle Cyberattacks
As a global brand determined to preserve and promote the possibilities technology enables, HP continues to reinvent security in an increasingly volatile world. Security is no longer just the responsibility of the network, but has become the duty of everything and everyone connected to it. By wholly integrating security features into the fabric of the design process of every device we create, from PCs to Printers to Mobile and more, HP is ensuring security is paramount and vulnerabilities do not persist as devices travel with us everywhere.
The truth is that we will never live in a world without cyberattacks, rendering it pivotal to ensure that our devices are designed to protect themselves. That is the driving motivation for HP to keep reinventing the symbiotic relationship between digital life and security – continually delivering the most secure devices on the market and making life better and safer for everyone, everywhere.
The Role of Digital Technology
In an increasingly complex and competitive marketplace, organisations thrive to increase productivity, while optimising cost effectiveness, by tapping on the flexibility and adaption that digitalisation brings. Enterprises are collaborating more globally, with a more diverse workforce, thanks to the introduction of digital technologies.
Having a more digital savvy team has been a boon for employers, as a digitally integrated workforce enables teams across time zones and countries, to work remotely while staying connected to their teams – virtually via Skype, video conferencing, emails and cloud-stored files.
Similar to other corporate environments worldwide, companies in Malaysia have also started implementing the “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) arrangement, through the “hotdesk” concept – as a means to provide flexibility and mobility to the Malaysian workforce – not forgetting the amount of office space we save from this concept!
Improve Workplace Productivity
The outlook of HP’s technology combines form and functionality, with mobility forming a key part of the design to suit young professionals, ranging from Gen-Ys to the millennials, who are always on the go.
Living by its principle of reinvention, HP is on a relentless pursue to create technology that makes life better for everyone, everywhere, to every community around the globe. In the aspect of human capital, the adaptability of HP’s latest technology allows corporate environments to attract, develop and retain
talent – by ensuring that employers are well-equipped with the right arsenals, to prioritise the needs of their workforce.
We have heard of the saying that, ‘the only thing constant in life is change’ – that is true with the digital age – it is here to constantly push us to innovate and excel. We need to embrace it and utilise it to its fullest potential. Despite the opportunities and challenges poised through the implementation of digital technologies in our daily lives, we will gradually see more rapid digital transformation, in the near future (if it is not happening already!) – impacting every societal fraction worldwide, including its geo-political and socio-economic landscapes.
This story first appeared in the Business Today magazine (June 2017 issue)
