By: Mohamed Noorul Huq, Solutions Director, ASEAN, at Tech Data

In this day and age, everyone, including vendors, partners and even individuals, are transforming their way of life to keep up the changing times. Change is the only constant, and I believe that one of the key parameters of change is technology.

We have witnessed first-hand how technology is transforming the way we communicate, commute, learn, and particularly, the way we work. Businesses are using social media platforms to gather consumer insights and interact with customers. Marketers are shifting from offline to online channels to reach their target audience. Business are incorporating chatbots into their websites to facilitate visitor feedback. IT teams are collecting real-time data to monitor the security of employees’ online activities in the office. This transformative technology is bringing with it the arrival of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

By Sundaresan K, Country General Manager, India, Tech Data

Brand Positioning vs. Marketing Tactics 

Each brand is unique in the way they position themselves. At Tech Data we choose to focus on our strengths including our next-generation technology solutions, our ability to drive business transformation for our customers and growth for our customers and vendors. We supported this with our promise of integrity, expertise and excellence.

Michael Costigan, Vice President, Marketing, Education and Supplier Management, Asia Pacific at Tech Data

A Deloitte Access Economics report[1] published this year revealed a 5% shift of customer purchases to digital channels in Asia Pacific. This may not sound that dramatic but it translates to a 3.5% boost to revenue growth, equivalent to USD 3.5 million additional revenue for a business with revenue of USD 100 million. The buying process of businesses has changed drastically, and marketers now need to reach buyers using new innovative methods; especially if, like Tech Data, the company is responsible for driving channel sales for multiple vendors in the B2B sector.

Naresh Desai, Vice President, Specialist Business, Asia Pacific, says that digital transformation can present itself in some surprising ways. 

In my role, managing the specialist business units and technologies for Tech Data across the APAC region, digital transformation is the central theme. Almost every event or meeting I attend and every conversation I have, has transformation at its heart.

William Chu, President, APAC, Tech Data

The evolution of technology is transforming our industry and shaping the role of distribution. Customers are seeking greater integration of products, services and solutions to meet the evolving needs of the market. To be a successful strategic partner, distributors must now develop a true understanding of how technology affects their customers’ end-user clients, and deliver technology in the way that the customer wants to buy.

Sunil Golani,Regional Supplier Business Executive, Asia Pacific at Tech Data says that digitally transformed services and the rise of the API economy are fuelling innovation and growth

Digital transformation is really enhancing the way we live today. But it has up-sides and down-sides. Services such as online banking, entertainment, transport services have made a lot of things easier. We now have an on-demand economy. But that can also make us lazy. For example, where once we would have planned a journey in advance if we needed to get from A to B at a certain time, we will now expect to be able to do it instantly.

By: Naresh Desai, Vice President, Specialist Business, Asia Pacific at Tech Data

Cybersecurity has been a hot topic of late due to the deluge of cyberattacks across the globe over the past year, including cyberattacks such as the Yahoo cyberbreach, the US$81 million cyber heist in Bangalore and the Dyn major DDoS (denial-of-service) attack. These attacks, which occurred against organizations that operate across a spectrum of industries, highlight that cyberattacks can impact any business at any time. As more industries embrace digital transformation and become increasingly connected, being cybersecure is more essential than ever. Vulnerabilities due to the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the adoption of technologies like cloud and mobility have added further complexity to the cybersecurity landscape.

By Michael Costigan, Vice President, Marketing and Business Innovation, and Leader, Education Services, Avnet Technology Solutions, Asia Pacific

In our current environment, where technology and business models are evolving more rapidly than ever, individuals and businesses need to stay adaptable in order to succeed, or at the minimum, to survive. Avnet Technology Solutions has transformed many times throughout its history to ensure we can remain at the vanguard of technology trends and to enable our partners to do the same. Throughout our transformation journey, we have placed great emphasis on three key aspects of our business: people, innovation and partnerships. As we evolve our strategies to concentrate on the trends that are defining our future, we also focus on how we can best empower the talents - our own and our partners’ - to ensure we can bring the most innovative solutions to market.

The countries that make up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN for short have always been known and favoured for being “exotic” destinations with colourful histories, diverse cultures, beautiful landscapes and beaches. While that remains true, the region’s image has evolved considerably and is now fast gaining attention on the economic front. With the formal establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in December 2015, the region is quickly becoming an intimately connected market. As of the end of 2014, the region recorded a combined GDP of US2.6 trillion, making it the third largest economy in Asia, and seventh in the world (AEC, 2015).