Convergence Insights

High Performance and the Multi-Polar World

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:57:02 GMT

Yesterday I arrived in Miami for the 20th annual Accenture Global Convergence Forum. This is an exciting event with clients from around the world. Last night it officially got underway, and I was happy to greet our guests. We have come together to discuss and debate how they can achieve and maintain membership in the exclusive group of high performance companies – those businesses that out-perform their peers, across multiple business and economic cycles, often across generations of leadership, and as measured by widely accepted financial metrics.

So You Think You Have the Power – Think Again

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Okay, so 3 Screens is nothing more than a metaphor for “any digital content anywhere anytime” whether through television, PC, or mobile device. But look more closely and you will realize that 3 Screens gives the power back to the customer.

Content on the Move

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:56:11 GMT

"Content on the move" is our theme at the Accenture pavilion, here at NAB in the South hall (SL8012) at the Las Vegas convention center. And, based on our interactions to date, it's a theme resonating with executives and journalists alike. Today's consumers want content—and in ways that don't require them to be chained necessarily to a TV, a computer, a movie theatre or a stereo system. They want content on the move, as they move, wherever they move.

No More Feeds and Speeds

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:01:32 GMT

Why do we continue to compete on feeds, speeds and price when our customers are thinking about so much more when they sign up for services and buy new PCs and mobile devices? I repeated this question several times during a workshop yesterday on the new customer experience that I co-hosted with Robert Wollan, who leads Accenture’s Customer Centricity and Service Transformation practice globally.

Innovation at the Speed of Life

Tue, 06 May 2008 12:54:39 GMT

That was the presentation title of BT’s Group CTO Matt Bross at last week’s inaugural SOFNET event - jointly presented by the International Engineering Consortium (IEC) and BT. Matt deftly showed how service complexity is increasing with the aid of some props from his children’s toy box! It was a great analogy for the way that telcos are re-thinking their service creation approach in the age of convergence – an age which we at Accenture are calling “perpetual beta”.

The Power of Small: Why Widgets Matter

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:57:02 GMT

Tuesday was the second full day of the 2008 NAB conferences. We've had client conversations on a variety of subjects, of course, but I thought I would highlight one topic of interest to a number of big companies yesterday, including European telcos and device manufacturers, as well as some US-based software and entertainment companies: widgets.

In Today's War for Talent You Need a New Battle Plan

Thu, 01 May 2008 14:22:36 GMT

While attending the recent Accenture Global Convergence Forum, I found strong interest in the entire topic of talent. As keynote after keynote delved into topics on business growth, the pace of change, the demand for new products and services, globalization, and the shortage of key skills it became quite apparent that every business is focusing on attracting, developing, and retaining the right talent. No one is immune, and we are all competing in new wars for talent that are about all the skills and capabilities we need to support our businesses in every market and geography, and not just about the old definition of talent as high potentials.

Welcome to a New World Where Only the Connected will Survive!

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:23:28 GMT

You may have had the pleasure of hearing Don Tapscott, Founder and Chairman of New Paradigm present at the recent Accenture Global Convergence Forum in Miami. You may have also left the conference with a signed copy of Don’s bestseller, “Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything”. I found it compelling reading and believe it will prove indispensable to anyone who wants to understand the key forces driving competitiveness in the twenty-first century.

The Billion-Dollar Question: How Will Internet Video Ads Make Money?

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:00:29 GMT

How video advertising will produce significant revenues was the subject of a panel discussion I participated on at the National Association of Broadcasters 2008 convention.

Demise of traditional broadcasting? Prove It

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:59:32 GMT

I had some very interesting conversations with clients and others at the NAB Show about the financial analyses that support some of the industry trends that everyone is talking about—including the claim that traditional broadcasting is in decline.

Set-top Boxes: Be a Licenser, not a Manufacturer

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:58:41 GMT

I heard lots of discussion and debate at last week’s National Association of Broadcasters show in Las Vegas about set-top boxes. If you spent any time at all walking around the miles and miles of exhibits and vendor booths at the show, you might have gotten the impression that set-top boxes for digital broadcasting is where all the action is. I saw all sorts of boxes and applications—for over-the-top video, for download services, etc.— and lots of talk about the "über" set-top box with HD, DVR, networking, storage and so forth.

Digital Rights Management and Interoperability: Help or Hindrance?

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:57:53 GMT

On the third day of the NAB conference, I served as moderator for a stimulating and controversial panel discussion on the topic, "Digital Rights in a Cross-Platform World" with executives from Alcatel-Lucent, Intertrust Technologies, CableLabs, and Widevine Technologies. The premise we discussed centered on digital rights controlling the creation and distribution of intellectual property; are digital rights an enabler of anything truly positive for the value chain?

A Strong Shoutout Against Homogeneity in Broadcasting

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:55:11 GMT

Tim Robbins, actor, producer and director best known for his roles in "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Bull Durham," gave an extremely entertaining, amusing, sometimes shocking, but always provocative keynote speech yesterday during the NAB Show here in Las Vegas.

Differences of Opinion

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:54:10 GMT

Yesterday I had the pleasure of introducing David Rehr, President and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, for his plenary address to NAB attendees. Dave spoke frankly about many of the challenges ahead for the broadcasting industry: "Some people are overwhelmed by change," he said. "Some are not optimistic about broadcasting's future."

Place Your Bet and Execute

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 18:52:44 GMT

Our own Greg Douglass kicked off the National Association of Broadcasters 2008 conference yesterday in Las Vegas. Each year, the NAB show draws thousands of executives and vendors in the broadcast, media, communications, entertainment and high-tech industries for workshops, networking, plenary sessions and, of course, mile upon mile of vendor booths stretched across three massive exhibit halls.

Our Future Lies in Intelligence, Creativitiy and Flexibility

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:01:12 GMT

I’ve concluded a three-day journey across the multi-world and back here in Miami. And now shortly after everything involving this unique annual event has been said and done, and reflecting above and beyond the concrete, over-riding reality that the multi-polar world is the most important global economic transformation in many years, I came to a new realization. Which is that thriving in this new world boils down to individual human beings believing that they are intelligent and creative, and, more importantly, that maximizing these assets, rather than allowing any doubts about these capabilities get in their way, will be the key differentiating attributes of people and companies in this interdependent multi-polar world.

We Have Wrapped up the Forum on a High Note

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:29:29 GMT

I was really struck by the focus on Innovation – developing it, harnessing it, exploiting it. It is a major driver of economies. It affects how you do business. I thought Graham Love put it best when he noted that innovation contributes to wealth. He went on to state that innovation, along with rules of law and competition are the three primary ingredients of economic growth.

Capitalizing on Web 2.0

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:28:10 GMT

The Web 2.0 discussion from the Service Innovation breakout session yesterday was particularly enlightening. To tap into this Web 2.0 world, companies are opening their networks, devices and Web platforms and more actively participating in collaborative service development. I was struck with the talk around the growth of web applications, and in particular how they intersect with mobile growth.

It's Time to Rethink the Customer Experience

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:03:17 GMT

During a breakout session yesterday I shared new findings from an Accenture survey about customer service among businesses. The findings reported that more than half of customers say service levels have improved somewhat or significantly during the past two years; that only 36 percent of actual customers surveyed reported being highly satisfied with the service they receive; and that businesses give away about 28 percent of technical support for free because they lack proper insights into what customers are entitled to receive (I gathered from the audience’s reaction that the 28 percent figure may be actually be higer).

On Inspiring Leaders

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:59:58 GMT

The Telefonica plenary presentation was incredibly powerful on two fronts. I was sitting next to a number of senior executives from one our clients and we were all motivated by Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete's passion about his company and Telefonica's willingness to expand on Latin America where the risks where very high.

"Young Disruptors" Are Turning the Tables on Conventional Wisdom

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:14:57 GMT

In the midst of some great discussions yesterday, I have to say that the “Young Disruptors” panel moderated by Om Malik lived up to its billing. They were young, and their companies are certainly going to be disruptive.

Mashups: Uncharted Territory for IT but too Risky to Ignore?

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:16:16 GMT

Today I heard Accenture’s Gene Reznik share intriguing stats during a session about the thriving developers community building applications and services, called mashups, that will work on top of popular web based tools such as Google maps. (To further clarify, a mashup is a web application that combines data from more than one source into a single integrated tool, thereby creating a new and distinct web service not originally provided by either of the sources individually).

What a Day!

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:57:13 GMT

We had great speakers with great content…lots of success and lots of passion. The multi-polar world concept is beginning to resonate with everyone at the forum. We heard from several speakers about how this deeper phase of globalization is impacting the way they do business.

A Real, Virtual Company - Oxymoron?

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 22:35:39 GMT

One of the startups that presented this afternoon has only twenty people, no office, few engineers, mostly open source community, no sales force, yet millions of users and thousands of customers. They really define a virtual company.

The Climb In High Heels

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:47:30 GMT

Insightful, instructive, empowering – there are just a few of the words I would use to describe this morning’s Women’s Leadership Forum.

A Wake-up Call For Everyone

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:56:02 GMT

I really enjoyed “The New Disruptors” session chaired by Om Malik. His panel of brilliant, young, drop-out entrepreneurs should be a wake-up call for everyone in our industry. Over the past few years we have seen a shift from enterprises driving network and technology innovation in the marketplace, with examples such as the PBXs and Ethernet, to innovation driven by consumers in the rapidly evolving Digital Home. It has been amazing to watch how consumer demand for creating, moving, and sharing content within their homes is starting to drive the industry. The adoption of WiFi has been an excellent example.

A Staggering Amount of Change

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 22:38:05 GMT

I wonder if some executives were taken aback--as I was--by the staggering amount of dramatic change I spoke about and heard all about today. I have several examples like the rapid rise of the multi-polar world, which is all about growth in economic influence and interdependence of emerging countries with developed countries. I told the audience that the multi-polar world phenomenon is the biggest global economic trend in the past 100 years.

QoS - Is it the Necessary Fuel?

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 18:19:47 GMT

We had a very lively discussion in our Executive Breakfast on VoIP and IPTV Stabilization this morning. One of the key challenges that multiple operators mentioned is the lack of End-to-End responsibility and accountability for delivering the right quality of service for the end customer.