Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 50 | Page 46

CIO OPINION
In 2022 , technologies that so far have been more a figment of our imagination will start coming to fruition .
Jonathan Bridges , Chief Innovation Officer , Exponential-e

Businesses ’ need for more choice and control will define 2022

Thanks to the pandemic , business leaders now have more of an understanding of what ’ s required of them to drive their organisations forward . Jonathan Bridges , Chief Innovation Officer , Exponential-e , discusses how organisations can take back control of factors such as their green footprint , multi-cloud environments and flexibility , this new year .

The past two years didn ’ t pan out quite how anyone expected them to . Yes , the pandemic has forced businesses and individuals to become more digitally savvy , but there is still a long way to go . Digital Transformation journeys will define the year ahead for most organisations , as has been the case in previous years . But this time , these journeys will be more focused on preparing for and capitalising on the longterm changes that the pandemic has catalysed .

Thankfully , most businesses have developed a better understanding of the technology that is required to drive their companies forward than they had 12 months ago . However , this does mean that many are seeking more choice of and control over the solutions available to them , which will not only impact their
Digital Transformations in the year ahead , but also influence how technology partners and providers will operate accordingly .
That notion will underpin many of the trends we expect to see this year . From a greater need for control over green footprints and increased demand for transparency from suppliers around sustainability , to the increasing need to finally experiment with technologies like 5G to encourage greater innovation , there ’ s a lot on the horizon for 2022 .
Taking back control
Many businesses , understandably , have felt out of control in recent years ; unable to take hold of
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