Three tech industry trends driving business transformation

Technology is deeply embedded in everything that we do, from ordering coffee to shopping for flight deals. Everything is just a tap away for consumers, but those simple taps depend on innovations from software companies around the world.

In a market where businesses compete for valuable mindshare, an enhanced customer experience has never been more important for encouraging customers to engage with your product.

Microsoft recently hosted a conversation with several business leaders from different industries, including Casey Hurbis from Rocket Central. We discussed how to address change in your own organization while also calibrating your business to address shifting customer preferences. No matter what stage of digital transformation your business is in, there are three main trends you can embrace.

Personalizing the customer experience

As high-tech companies modernize their applications, they have the opportunity to rethink the customer experience. They can completely transform the service for their customers through software that improves the customer experience, increases engagement, and sets new expectations.

Personalization is key to promoting customer retention, and innovative software can help companies develop personalized experiences. Rocket Central is using over-the-top and digital video to personalize its marketing and reach consumers using the media they prefer.

“We work hard to make sure we’re delivering the right message to the right client at the right time by understanding the right mechanism to deliver it,” says Casey Hurbis, Chief Marketing Officer of Rocket Central.

Importantly, improved customer experiences lead to new expectations. For example, rideshare companies changed how people ordered rides, resulting in trends across industries for on-demand services—think about grocery and meal delivery services and coworking spaces.

Enhancing the employee experience

Starting in 2020, employees endured the most significant transformation we’ve seen in years. For many, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, the employee experience changed almost overnight from traditional in-person offices to entirely remote or hybrid work environments.

The annual Microsoft Work Trend Index report aims to understand trends and help leaders navigate uncertainty. Research found that 51 percent of hybrid employees are considering shifting to fully remote work in the year ahead. Although hybrid work solutions look different for every company, employees are saying loud and clear that flexibility is a necessity.

Protect your intellectual property from threats

Cybersecurity is another trend on the rise and for good reason. When faced with a security breach, companies can lose customer trust in an instant. One of the greatest challenges is managing current system security while preparing for and adapting to future innovations and obstacles. Even while innovating for the future, it’s essential that companies keep customer trust intact in the present.

The Work Trend Index shows that 52 percent of employees are open to using digital immersive spaces in the metaverse for team activities in the next year. Of business leaders who responded, 43 percent see relationship building as the greatest challenge in hybrid work. By creating a secure and flexible workspace for teams to innovate, technology like the metaverse could help teams create stronger connections and increase retention.

Hear from our thought leaders and customers

Despite the challenges of adapting to consumer and employee expectations, the market is full of opportunities for high-tech companies. To hear more from our thought leaders and customers on these topics and more, tune in to our recent Digital Transformation and the Future of High-Tech conversation.