Software Technology is Here to Stay – Innovate or Die!!
Why is this saying so trendy and true?
Pull ahead in the competition, else risk losing everything you have!
How can you stop yourself from recollecting one of the most heard phrases of all times, “Survival of the fittest’‘ by Herbert Spencer, mentioned by Charles Darwin in his ‘On the Origin of Species.’? Meaning only those can survive who can best embrace/manage the change.
One cannot deny that the software industry will continue to spread and its hegemony over the entire world is just a matter of time. We have witnessed the emergence of start-ups like Uber. Until it came into existence, the taxi business looked like an immovable rock. However, Uber’s digital transformation that innovatively introduced cab rental has seriously disrupted the traditional taxi company businesses. And the story is the same in almost every sector. Those who can not keep up with the rapid pace of the technological inventions will lose gravely in the race.
The year 2020 will be forever remembered as the year that taught each of us, lessons irrespective of who we are and what we do. Yes, the global outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic that has changed us in many ways, dominated the year. But then, it has proved that the world is connected in many ways. While medical science might say we are physically connected, computer science has so much to take pride in even in the global crisis.
No, this is not about WFH! The world has already proved WFH does work and works successfully! And circumstances teach you even the impossibles, something we saw at a large scale during the pandemic when even the companies that were not comfortable permitting WFH to their employees allowed them WFH for months.
However, the story is different here,
Recently, there was news on “UK to use AI for COVID-19 vaccine side effects.” It is evidence, using software technology we can even spot the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines. Means, we have a solution to identify the problem even before we can detect the problem. It compels us to think that there is nothing that is not possible through software technology.
There is a continuous introduction to something new and unthinkable in the digital-sphere. Before COVID-19 outbreak, who would have thought about contact tracing through software technology? And now this, ‘AI (Artificial Intelligence) to process the adverse reactions of the COVID-19 vaccines.’ Software company Genpact UK has been paid £1.5m for this AI tool.
Amid the global race for a COVID-19 vaccine, even Abudhabi’s G42 Healthcare revealed that they will volunteer a healthcare management programme. They tied up with US wearable technology firm WHOOP to monitor the health and fitness of those participating in the company’s COVID-19 vaccine trials.
There is an old saying “Necessity is the mother of invention”, and it proves true here.
Until a few years back, Software Technology appeared to be a headache to many. But as we progressed, it turned out to be a blessing mostly. How could we have handled the COVID-19 crisis, were we not digitally empowered with such a massive and unruly population? Not a thing for complacent minds to think! Or maybe most of us are still unaware of what it is to be digitally empowered. But one thing is for sure – the Coronavirus outbreak has made many embrace the digital transformation, which they were hesitant to do so, until the outbreak. We saw more people buying online, more businesses opening online stores, remote location working became the ‘new normal’ even for the companies that did not allow genuine leaves to their employees. And many who did not accept the change on time lost their battle for survival in this highly competitive world.
Software technology has definitely transformed the world in countless ways, and those who have not embraced the change are either succumbing to defeat or struggling to make a footing in the industry.
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We have heard it a million times-
“Change is the only constant in life.” – Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher. But when we have to face it, most of us become complacent.
The world around us is changing and adapting incessantly. It is not wrong to say – change is the only solution. So, there is no alternative to it other than embracing it. Simple – innovate or die! Software Technology is here to stay, sooner you embrace it, better your chances of success!
A business without digital transformation risks lagging behind customer expectations.
“Change is the essential process of all existence.” – Mr Spock, Star Trek, Season 3, Episode 15
We are living in an era that is driven by technology. Whether we agree or not, software technology has taken over our life. It is convenient to mention that the world has transformed rapidly and massively to an extent from where there is no looking back. And all within a decade or two!
Human beings are essentially inventive. The evolution of human beings and the way they have invented through the ages proves that.
Pondering over human potential, and you won’t find a better line than this, “Inside you is the potential to make yourself better…and that is what it is to be human. To make yourself more than you are.” – Captain Picard, Star Trek.
The 19th century saw industrialisation. The 20th century gave us the green revolution and then globalisation, and now in the 21st century, we can see the storm of digitalisation. Globalisation would not have been possible without the internet and computers. While the computer is the body and the internet is bloodstream, software technology continues to be the lifeline and soul.
Just two decades ago, the idea that software technology could make life simple, easy and fast was unfathomable to the majority. Many might say that it has also made life complicated, and they might be right, but, the pros heavily outweigh the cons. Who does not love sweets, but too much sugar can make us diabetic! We only need to differentiate between the good and the bad and allow only the good to happen. Imagine how daunting it used to be to flip through the bulky books in the libraries for information. From searching paper-based encyclopedias or dusty journals in libraries; to information available online at our fingertips at the swipe of your finger, within a fraction of a second, we have seen a sea of transformation ever since software technology started influencing mundane life.
Similar transformations are seen in almost every industry sector, be it healthcare sector, pharma, automobile, banking, agricultural, engineering, mechanical, and construction sector. All industries have been and will continue to be impacted by the technological boom.
History of computers goes back to world war II, used by engineers to solve tactical problems. However, it was in the mid-1980s and early 1990s, when Microsoft and Apple started producing their own operating systems. This was the dawn of a fast and easily available software era. Hereon, software became an indispensable part of our lives. It continued on its uninterrupted expedition. From desktops to laptops, palmtops and now smartphones, smartwatches, digital home assistants and even unmanned medical devices, surgery, automotive, industry tools and equipment and even space missions, software technology has conquered almost every peak of our imagination. It still continues to surprise us almost every day by introducing something beyond belief.
As we progressed, software became an essential part of our lives. In 2008 there were more than a billion computers in the world. From 1.4 billion smartphone users in 2013 across the world to 2.5 billion users in 2016, today the number has grown to 3.5 billion, meaning 44.69% of the world population owns a smartphone, according to Statista. Today, we use the software in every industry, be it banking, defence or science & technology to medicines. If we look around us, we find almost everything we use in our day to day life is somehow controlled, by software. It is on your television, cars, refrigerator, air conditioner, microwaves and even your digital home assistant. It has impacted every aspect of our daily life, right from getting up from bed to retiring to the bed. Even our plastic credit cards and shopping carts have a chip inside that is controlled by software.
Whether it is shopping, watching movies, playing digital games, studying, finding information, ordering food or groceries, hiring a cab, calling a doctor, searching for pest control or a car cleaner, or booking a movie ticket or flight ticket, or even tracking your fitness and diet regime; you have mobile application software to help you at every step. You just need to install them as per your specific needs. So, we now know how software technology has become an essential part of our daily life and ignoring it would never be a wise person’s advice. Almost every sector, is now led by software technology companies. They either hire in-house software professionals or outsource their tasks to software companies, but they cannot do without software. As we have mentioned in the beginning – innovate or die! This sums up how vital software is in our life!
If you are still not digitally empowered, then it is high time, you need to transform your business model into a technology powerhouse. You will need to do it the right way to stay competitive and survive the digital revolution. The main objective, as always, must be to deliver value through software applications to your customers and target audience. Ultimately, achieving faster and more reliable solutions than you had ever conceived before. You might make mistakes before you get hold of it, but in the end, you will WIN!
A very relevant line from Star Trek, when Captain Archer says, “We are going to stumble, make mistakes, I am sure, more than a few before we find our footing. But we are going to learn from those mistakes. That is what being human is all about.”
Means, embracing the change is the only solution to stay relevant in business.
However, nothing is more powerful than us human beings. Software is definitely more powerful than we had ever assumed, but it is nothing without the intervention of human beings. We can make software either a boon or a bane; it all depends upon our intent. If our intent is good, we can make this world a beautiful place by making the right use of software technology at the right place and at the right time.