Firms failing to invest in emerging technologies

The phrase 'digital transformation' means many things to many people but it appears not to necessarily involve investing in some of the cutting edge technologies.

Linking up the different parts a business is the main ambition with digital projects but across Europe there is more of a willingness to look at some of the technologies of the future, which risks leaving the UK lagging behind.

Given the Brexit process there are concerns that rather than becoming a powerhouse of IT innovation the UK could slip behind in the global competitive stakes.

Findings from Dell in its Realizing 2030: A Divided Vision of the Future research concludes that UK firms are tailing behind 12 other global countries investing in AI, VR and high performance options like flash.

“The results demonstrate that UK businesses are placing less of a focus on investing in sophisticated technologies than not only our European counterparts but also many other global competitors,” said Dayne Turbitt, senior vice president, enterprise, UK & Ireland, at Dell EMC.

“In a time when the UK is looking to make its own path outside of the EU, there has to be a greater investment in technologies that have the potential to deliver a significant competitive advantage. Greater collaboration within businesses in delivering this change is a crucial step in this process," he added.

The report found that only 16% of UK businesses are investing in advanced AI, which is less than France (31%), Germany (26%), The Netherlands (17%) and Italy (22%).

Globally in all the big areas the UK was behind: in IoT (Global 46%, UK 34%), converged infrastructure (Global 39%, UK 34%), high-performance computer technologies (Global 36%, UK 29%), VR/AR (Global 28%, UK 23%).

The UK is only ahead globally in the areas of analytics and big data plus hybrid cloud.

“Businesses in the UK need to understand their competitors in other countries plan on adopting more sophisticated technologies to deliver greater business performance. Home to some great start-ups and innovative technologies, the UK is ideally placed to spearhead the adoption. This research shows what businesses need to undertake to achieve successful digital transformation and it is clear that collaboration throughout the business across all levels is key”, added Turbitt.