An issue for the future: digitalization and networking
The R&D Flagship Conference was held in Munich´s BMW Welt on July 30, 2017. The focus of the conference was „Digitalization and Networking“ and this was the topic of discussion among leading experts from various tech companies – including Frank Lorenz, SKIDATA´s Senior Vice President of Research & Development. The guest list also included companies such as BMW, Bosch, Airbus, MAN and many more.
Keynote speech on megatrends and the influence of digitalization
Frank Lorenz immediately posed a provocative question: „Will we lose significant parts of our value chain and therefore our sales through „uberization“ and large tech companies?“ Lorenz´s keynote speech ranged from relevant megatrends to strategic options and the question: „How are we dealing with these challenges at SKIDATA?“
Experts addressed megatrends such as
– global mobile networking,
– permanent access to information and entertainment,
– the „Internet of Things“,
– social media and Web 2.0,
– multi-channel retail,
– and cloud-computing and big data.
It is exactly these trends that will drive forth digitalization in society and industry in the future. These topics have also long been a focus at SKIDATA.
Opportunities and risk of increasing digitalization and networking
In addition to defining the future megatrends and their impact on the digitalization of society, the following question was examined: how should industry and R&D departments react? The industry expert is of the opinion that in the future, investments in the area of e-commerce for B2C as well as B2B will be even more necessary as a dominant sales channel. Lorenz also believes that an increase in efficiency in one´s own business or B2B customers will be possible mainly through business process optimization. In addition, more priority will be placed on the topics of centralization and access to business data at any time. Further to the points already mentioned, Lorenz sees the following as essential:
– cloud-based management of the installed basis of systems and machinery;
– digitalization of payment processes and mobile payment methods (Apple Pay, Google Wallet, M-Pesa, WeChat, etc.);
– preparation for gradual digitalization of our currencies;
– and development of mobile commerce solutions and the availability of business data at any time on mobile devices.
Regarding risks, Lorenz focused on cyber security. According to the expert, all companies must make every effort to protect their own business and customers. „In particular, the first generation of IoT devices with very weak security mechanisms can cause a lot of damage. For example, by hacking hundreds of thousands of these devices to perform massive, dispersed attacks against critical infrastructure and institutions,“ said Lorenz.
Lorenz closed his keynote speech at the R&D Flagship Conference on a reassuringly positive and confident note: „Digitalization and networking is coming – let us shape them and take advantage of the opportunities!“
Interested in moving digitalization forward at SKIDATA?
Topics like the ones presented at the conference make technology fans´ hearts skip a beat – and SKIDATA has plenty of great job opportunities in R&D. Take a closer look at the wide range of assignments here: https://www.skidata.com/en/corporate/jobs-careers/job-vacancies-at-skidata/
SKIDATA is a leading international company for access solutions and management. More than 10,000 SKIDATA installations in ski resorts, sports stadiums, major airports, shopping centers, cities, spas and wellness facilities, exhibition centers and amusement parks worldwide ensure safe and reliable access control for people and vehicles. SKIDATA places great value in offering solutions that are intuitive, easy to operate and secure. With their integrated concepts, SKIDATA helps clients optimize performance and maximize profits. The SKIDATA Group ( www.skidata.com) is a member of the publicly traded Swiss Kudelski Group ( www.nagra.com), a leading provider of digital security solutions.
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Url: https://www.skidata.com/en/corporate/jobs-careers/
