The document discusses trends and challenges for CxOs in 2017 regarding disruptive technologies and increased competition. Key challenges include transforming organizational culture to meet customer demands in a digital economy, managing costs while maintaining revenue, and using data effectively. There will also be a focus on enhancing customer experience through mobile applications and authentication solutions. Futuristic technologies like artificial intelligence and bots will be more widely tested and implemented to provide smart customer experiences. Cybersecurity will remain a major challenge as data analytics increases.

1. I Want It All-as-a-Service: Navigating the ‘Experience Entitlement’
In theAustralia-NewZealand region, PeterChidiac,ManagingDirector, Avaya, hasbeen steering the
company’s growth in a disruptive technology environment that calls for re-imagining of IT
infrastructureand investments around the‘Internetof Me’. He shares some thoughts on how critical
IT decisions are influenced and made.
What trend and challenges dominated 2016?
For our customers – both large and small – 2016 was about meeting the challenges of ‘disruptive’
technologiesandincreasedcompetitionas they commenced or continued their transitions to fully-
digital operations.Withthe likesof bigdata,smart-everything,artificialintelligence andthe Internet
of Things transitioning from mere ‘concepts’ to more of a reality for many, these companies faced
challenges around transforming their teams and culture, which has and will continue to require
strongleadership.Consequently, this led to questions on the type of leadership that is required to
steertransformingorganisations,particularlywithinconglomerateswithexpansive users anddiverse
requirements. Underlying these changes were pressures around managing costs and maintaining
revenue streamsdespite the ongoingmove to recurring revenue streams as opposed to large, one-
off wins.
Many of the aforementionedchallengesresonate within our own business in Avaya A/NZ. We have
very publicly transformed our local operation to align to the flexible solutions our customers and
partners expect rather than the rigid product streams of old. It allowed us to recover from a tough
24 months, resulting in the launch of 16 new products and, for the A/NZ business, our Q4 2016
ended as the best financial performance in 12 quarters.

2. What do you expect will keep CxOs up at night in 2017?
CxOswill focusonkeepingupwiththe highly-demanding and ever-changing consumer, and how to
balance working with them, their costs, and employee satisfaction in an always-on economy.
Another major challenge will be how they manage and use data in the most effective way to help
drive internal efficiencies and customer experience. The industry has spent several years talking
about big data already, but now, investments in data collection and management will lead to
questions on the value derived from it.
Companiesare developingprocessesand technologies that bring them closer to their customers to
help them compete on the basis of the customer experience. Many of our customers are building
more advanced capabilities for their established digital channels, with an emphasis on enhancing
mobile applications.Othersare implementing advanced authentication solutions to make it easier
for their customers to transact and access personal information.
How do you foresee the conversations around futuristic tech playing out?
There are a number of organisations that have already implemented automated technologies that
provide a smart experience for consumers. We are seeing contact centres that can identify
customersandtheirenquiries(viathe likesof apps) sothat issuesare resolvedveryquickly, thereby
boostingcustomer satisfaction. This ‘Internet of Me’ culture is shaping how organisations develop
their flexible solutions.
In the yearahead,we expecttosee manymore companies investigate,planfor,andtrial these types
of futuristictechnologies.The highly-availabletoolsaroundbotsand artificial intelligence will make
it easierfororganisationsto‘tinker’withapplicationsandtest viability. A good example of this is in
the biometricsspace,where the technologyhasbeenavailable for some time andover the last 12 to
24 months, has been implemented more broadly for mainstream applications.
Cybersecurity will continue to pose major challenges for organisations across everything they do,
particularly as big data and analytics becomes more widespread.
I alsobelievethatcompanieswill looktorestructure rolesandresponsibilities to cope with the high
demandsof the consumer-driveneconomy. For example, the role of the CEO, CIO and CMO will be
much more focusedontransformationandinnovationnotonlyintechnology,butoperationally and
culturally aswell.Additionally, responsibilities will overlap across management and departments,
witha greaternumberof personnel involvedinprovidingthe bestpossibleexperience tocustomers.