Media Launch of the AMCHAM T&T’s Tech Hub Island Summit (t.h.i.s.) 2022.

May 9th, 2022 | Related To: AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO (AMCHAM T&T)

The official launch of the 2022 edition of the AMCHAM T&T and Republic Bank present T.H.I.S (Tech Hub Islands Summit) took place on May 5th at Republic House. T.H.I.S will be a hybrid event hosted on July 6-8 at the Hyatt Regency, P.O.S. For more information, you can visit http://techislands.net (l-r) Zia Paton – Caribbean Digital Services Leader, PwC; Colman Clifford – Head of Enterprise and Multinationals, Digicel Business; Nirad Tewarie – CEO, AMCHAM T&T; Carina Cockburn – Country Head, Trinidad and Tobago, IDB; Derwin Howell – Executive Director, Republic Bank; and Navin Dookeran – CEO, EXIMBANK.

Remarks by Colman Clifford

(Head of Enterprise and Multinational Sales- Digicel Business Solutions)

The Urgent Need to Embrace Digital Transformation

I sincerely thank you for the invitation to participate in today’s media launch of the Tech Hub Islands Summit otherwise known as T.H.I.S. 2022. The theme of this year’s summit, “Change in Action” could not come at a better time, as we are witnessing the rapid pace of technological advancement throughout the world.

At Digicel, we eat, sleep, and breathe technology. We see it as a living thing that is constantly evolving and changing, and we know its importance, and the urgency with which companies need to arm themselves with the most innovative digital solutions and advancements to win.

Over the past number of years, some buzzwords have emerged and have been thrown about with increasing popularity. This morning alone, we have heard mentions of digital transformation… digitization… digitalization… and the digital economy just to name a few. It is also no secret that the pandemic, which began in 2020, accelerated mentions of these buzz phrases and we have loosely applied them to almost every business scenario ad nauseam. Then fast forward to 2022, where the world added the geopolitical tensions between Russia and the Ukraine, and you have just included concerns about digital commodities and sparked anxieties surrounding technology and cybersecurity, another buzzword that has become more and more relevant and a grim reality each week.

At Digicel Business, we understand that while technology is everyone’s business, it is not everyone’s forte. That is why we are particularly keen on collaborating with AMCHAM T&T and why we continue to support forums such as T.H.I.S- the Tech Hub Island Summit.

We see it as an important catalyst to revolutionize businesses, and by extension the economy of Trinidad and Tobago, making us more agile, more efficient, more competitive and overall, more advanced.

As the Head of Enterprise and Multinational Sales at Digicel Business Solutions, I am exposed to a wide range of businesses, all with various goals and quantifiable growth objectives but all with one thing in common- the desire to succeed. And in 2022, that desire is closely linked with your business’ ability to implement digital solutions, get online and integrate technology into your day to day operations.

Digicel Business recently surveyed more than 1900 companies across the region. The survey highlighted that the pandemic has caused many companies to accelerate their digital transformation programmes in search of new ways to deliver value, generate revenue, and improve efficiency.

As it relates to Digital Transformation, here’s what we also learned:

78 percent of businesses expect Digital Transformation to transform their enterprise
89 percent see Digital Transformation as an opportunity
61 percent have taken action toward Digital Transformation
36 per cent see it as a threat, 39 per cent see it as a challenge, and 29 per cent are concerned about their ability to execute their Digital Transformation program.

The data paints a clear picture that while many companies see digital transformation as a game-changer, they don’t particularly know how to implement such a plan within their organization.

Such organizational transformations are difficult to champion in the rapidly changing environment in which we now live. The pandemic’s difficulties, which have been compounded by the geopolitical crisis in Europe, have unleashed a new level of complexity that all businesses, locally and regionally, have to face.

Moreover, organizations now have to pivot, in the same way that Digicel had to pivot from being a traditional telecommunications provider in the region, to becoming a Digital Operator and provider of digital Business Solutions.

We are deeply aware that changing the operations and culture of an organization is not something that can be done alone. We all need partners for the journey, which is also why our mantra at Digicel of “Better Together” isn’t just a one dimensional tagline– it’s rooted in our behavioral culture. We believe in working together to deliver Better Solutions for Better Business, and we look forward to being part of the team for the Tech Hub Islands Summit 2022.

As we complete our forecasts for the rest of the year, all companies must be ready and able to embrace greater uncertainty. Companies here in T&T can face these challenges head-on if Digital transformation is truly embraced, if collectively we implement programmes such as THIS to facilitate change, and if we work together.

Based on our research at Digicel Business and through the experience of servicing thousands of enterprise clients, we know that integrating technology into a business can fundamentally change how that company operates and can determine its future success.

It can help both large and small enterprises to grow sales, enhance customer relationships and customer experience, save money, and in many instances, it even helps to attract and retain employees – which are benefits no business can afford to pass up in this economic environment.

Again, Digicel Business is excited about the digital revolution that is taking place and we encourage everyone out there, regardless of the size of your business, to participate in the upcoming summit, and let’s begin to experience Change in Action.

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