Our #TouchofTech events held in both London and Manchester were curated with the future in mind, with Shaun Collins of CCS Insight and Che Smith bringing audiences across two cities their tech predictions for 2018 and beyond.
This event was held on 21st March 2018 at The Rosewood Hotel, Holborn and Manchester 18th April 2018 at Great John Street Hotel
Our first event was held at the ever-so-regal Rosewood Hotel in Holborn with our second event taking place at the Great John Street Hotel in Manchester, where a cross-section of our customers and new prospects came together for a #TouchofTech.
Che Smith opened the events by asking which of the CCS Insight predictions kept them awake at night, and using sli-do, asked attendees to vote with the results appeared on-screen in real-time.
He talked about how sensor-technology was helping the older generation stay in their homes whilst keeping their families confident of their wellbeing even when they’re out of sight. Backpack trackers were also on the agenda, aimed at helping keep schoolchildren safe on trips, allowing teachers to keep tabs on the more adventurous among them.
Shaun then talked around the insights put forward through CCS Insight, with a focus on how we’re all incredibly app-centric both in the world of work and beyond and the growing importance of security when thinking about mobile solutions. He also focused on the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence, and how it will transform all of us and our businesses for the better.
The #TouchofTech events in both London and Manchester allowed everyone to think about how future tech could transform the way they live and what the impact might be on their businesses. We spoke to Shaun Collins (CCS Insight), Che Smith, and Mabel Evans (IT Director at Fieldfisher) to get their insights on the future impact of tech.
Which of the insights discussed at the #TouchofTech event do you think are most appealing to businesses?
Che Smith: It’s very difficult to say as the beauty of technology is that it is so vast and often some of the emerging technologies will mean different things for different people. For me, they’re also so inextricably linked it’s hard to single out just one.
If AI or IoT will have a huge impact on your business, then Big Data suddenly becomes absolutely crucial. If the growth of 5G is essential, it allows greater amounts of data to be sent faster from harder to reach places. Data, data, data. So, I suppose data, generating it, getting access to it, and using it to your own advantage will be the most appealing tech insight for some businesses.
Shaun Collins: The biggest and most profound change in the next 5 years will be the use of Artificial Intelligence (‘AI’) in every aspect of our personal and professional lives, it will transform our experiences and behaviours. AI has the potential to make as big a change to our lives as mobility did 30 years ago, but it means different things to different people. AI is not a piece of hardware: it’s a development that adds value in different ways, and its ability to learn and modify will change the way we interact with each other, in our digital lives.
Mabel Evans: I found Artificial Intelligence to be the most interesting. We’re all trying to transform our businesses, and digital transformation is about empowering people to take advantage of the technology around us and be more productive for the benefit of our clients. As well as that, Security remains a priority, alongside cloud systems: they go hand-in-hand. Software as a Service solutions are very popular now and offer many benefits, so in this context security of systems is paramount.
[subscribe-form]
How do you think technology empowers workforces?
Che Smith: Where do you start? Just look at the rise of homeworking and mobility solutions allowing workforces to access services from wherever they are and whenever it suits them. The adoption of Cloud makes services so easily available: all you need is an Internet connection.
Internet access has become a utility, an expectation, whether you’re at home or sitting in a restaurant you look for a Wi-Fi connection to send an email or check on the progress of an activity. Apps are everywhere and virtual assistance like Alexa and
Apple’s new HomePod are becoming mainstream. Technology is at the click of a button or the vibration of a vocal chord. Technology is supporting a diverse workforce as well. Apps that those who are sight or hearing-impaired are empowered by technological advancements in mobility solutions, which allow those who are unable to travel very easily to carry out their roles from home.
Shaun Collins: It’s no longer good enough for businesses to say ‘We have a digital strategy’: if your strategy isn’t digital, you don’t have a strategy. It infers you have other strategies as well.
Tech empowers by providing a novel set of experiences, behaviours and structures to make them better at what they do. Better could mean different things to different workforces; more efficient, reducing costs and therefore prices, or a wider geographical footprint.
Businesses are now offered access to technologies to reform and restructure every business process for low cost. For businesses and individuals alike, the opportunities with workplace transformation is limited only by budget or by the imagination.
Mabel Evans: We’re all part of the digital age: if you’re not using tech in your workplace, there’s something wrong. It’s an essential part of our lives at work we work faster, we work for longer hours and we need the tools to support that. Whether it’s a laptop to work in a quiet room or at a client’s site, or a mobile phone that allows you to access your files and emails whilst you’re ‘on-the-go’. There have been huge changes within our firm over the last 4 years. I think it’s all about understanding how you can provide more tech solutions without the need to over-complicate things.
How do you think the tech industry can combat the lack of diversity in its global workforce?
Che Smith: I don’t think there are any barriers. Companies like BT and Virgin have great policies around maternity leave and encouraging diversity amongst employees. I think the industry is receptive to good people who are capable of keeping up with the pace of change.
I think the problem often starts in schools. Schoolgirls are told ‘this is technical so it’s not for you’. They’re taught that tech isn’t interesting, and it’s all about bits, bytes, and data. There’s no recognition that tech is actually about everything. If you look at what tech can help you do whether it’s the presence of sensors in a care home helping take care of elderly residents with dementia, or it’s trackers on children's’ backpacks that help teachers know where they are on a school trip. Tech has such a wide appeal.
Some of it I think is UK specific: most of the unfilled jobs in the UK are in the tech industry. There’s almost a stigma around being labelled as a geeky tech person whereas that’s not the case in the USA and in Asia. It’s about making tech a part of the curriculum that goes past the point of GCSE and making people aware of the social side of tech, and how it can help you become skilled in your life beyond education.
Shaun Collins: Pale, male and stale, I may be perceived as the enemy in the industry right now! I think the momentum within the industry is laudable in encouraging women to consider technology roles, but it’s key for our industry to encourage role-models for women in technology. I’m keen on positive discrimination myself, which is a very unpopular view.
Whilst it should be that we recruit the best person for the job, we’ve been giving jobs to the wrong people when they’ve been men for the last 35 years. With 51% of the UK population being female, by default, there should be more women represented across the different industries we have. Sometimes we’re not aware of our subconscious biases and sense of entitlement, but we all have a responsibility to do more to encourage underrepresented groups to consider and progress in the industry.
Mabel Evans: Primarily focussing on gender diversity, I believe there is more that can be done to make a career in tech more appealing to women. There are clearly some stars out there but not enough of them and we need to create and promote more role models. In my experience in Legal IT tech, we are trying to do more to retain the talent we have and ensure we have a diverse team.
More broadly at our firm, we have a great Diversity and Inclusion network and recently ran an event that coincided with International Women’s Day, I, along with women Partners and other senior women in our organisation participated to share our experiences of workplace progression. We had a packed auditorium and received encouraging feedback that colleagues felt empowered to invest more in their own professional development.
Generally, there is still a lot to be done in all industries and we need to also make an impact in schools and colleges to encourage diversity by working with STEM programmes for example and creating an attractive career path.
