Digital divide stands for the gap between those organisations that are benefiting from the digital age and those who lag behind. Organisations without the benefit of up-to-date digital telecommunication technologies are at an economic disadvantage, as they are less able to respond to market trends.
Mobile business communication in the Covid-19 era
It would be fair to say that most companies were unprepared for Covid-19 and the associated lockdowns. The pandemic necessitated a shift to remote working, where possible, and changing from in-person collaborations to digital experiences.
That said, the pandemic highlighted an event that was already in motion; a shift from an industrial economy to one based around information. The disruption to markets around the world, as well as to ways of working, emphasised the necessity of the digital agenda.
Those organisations that had already embraced digital telecommunications networks were able to adapt far more easily to remote working than those that had not.
A digital divide in modern enterprise
According to a recent survey by Harvey Nash and KPMG, organisations that are digital leaders are twice as likely to be effective at scaling innovation, compared with their peers. They are also three times better at providing a positive customer experience.
Organisations that fail to embrace digital services find their responsiveness to changes in the market environment incrementally lags, caused by their reliance on legacy telecommunication systems services.
Likewise, as digital systems evolve and update, the interoperability and connectivity with legacy systems decreases, leading to an ever-reducing rate of information flow within an organisation.
It can be tempting to rely on existing technologies: there is an inherent danger of thinking “If it isn’t broken, why fix it?”
However, such a philosophy can lead to significant interruptions, such as when connectivity fails due to a system update.
Evolving their digital telecommunication infrastructure allows organisations to maintain interoperability and mitigate the effects of service interruptions with controlled updates.
Reducing the digital divide
Undergoing such a digital transformation ensures organisations thrive in modern enterprise. However, as no two organisations are ever the same, their associated communications architecture will be unique.
Bridging the digital divide in business communications can only be done with a thorough understanding of an organisation’s existing telecommunication infrastructure. This should consider how an organisation communicates, both internally and with external partners, as well as their projected growth and development.
Just as an organisation grows and evolves, so do its telecommunication requirements. What was once appropriate, at the time the telecommunication infrastructure was installed, can soon become obsolete if it is unable to meet the required growth as an organisation expands.
Enhancing mobile business technologies can be a significant expense. However, such investments allow for greater flexibility and adaptability, as well as swifter responses to a shifting market.
Evolve or devolve
Successfully executing a digital transformation in business communications has become a matter of either prospering or struggling to survive as an organisation. The process itself can be initially disruptive, in the short term, but the benefits to a company’s business telecommunication will make returns on the investment.
