Tech Insights: Interview with Craig Macfarlane, Association & Communications Events

What do you see as the single biggest challenge facing the ICT industry in the year ahead, and why?

The biggest challenge facing the ICT industry in 2016 will be network and data security. On the one hand, businesses are collecting more data than ever before, while on the other hand, cyber attacks, breaches and malware are becoming more sophisticated and more commonplace. Multifactor authentication is the way to go.

What do you see as the two or three biggest growth opportunities for ICT companies in 2016, and why?

Renewed interest and some successful launches by HR-tech, fin-tech and marketing-tech companies will provide opportunities in 2016 for start-ups to impact traditional businesses. The Internet of Things — and more specifically, all the data it produces — will drive innovation and opportunities across many sectors, especially health care, aged care, insurance, mining, agriculture, retail, transport and utilities.

What emerging trends or developing technologies may influence or change the way the ICT industry will do business in 2016, and why?

More innovation and development will be 'outsourced' to innovation hubs, funded by big business, as well as crowdfunding. Open-sourcing will allow smaller players to get in on the action.

What are your customers demanding of you more today than five years ago, and how will you meet these requirements in 2016?

Our customers are struggling to keep abreast of the plethora of new technologies and connected devices flooding the market and — more importantly — trying to understand which technologies can and should be integrated into legacy systems. They want to know which technologies are just hype and which might be the 'next big thing'. Attending tech conferences and trade shows is one way of gaining the necessary information and connections to make the 'right' decision.

Aside from your own, which ICT companies will be the ones to watch in 2016, and why?

Take a look at a start-up called CareMonkey. They exhibited at several exhibitions organised by Association and Communications Events, including EduTECH, RetailTECH X and the CONNECT EXPO. As part of the CONNECT Expo, CEO Troy Westley entered a local 'pitching contest' and won an all-expenses paid trip to Finland to participate in a much larger, international pitching contest, where he won first place — a whopping $979,000.

CareMonkey provides a health and safety system that automatically keeps medical and emergency contact details up to date for an organisation with a duty of care. Then it makes that information available on mobile devices to carers like teachers, sport coaches and first aid officials so they know exactly who to call, what to do or what to tell an ambulance paramedic in an emergency.

Watch out for fin-tech companies such as On-Market BookBuilds. Its launch in October was attended by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who said that technologies such as this would put pressure on financial institutions to work harder to justify their fees and charges.

Craig Macfarlane is the owner and CEO of Association & Communications Events, a company that specialises in organising conference and exhibitions that focus on the use and effect of technology in business across a range of industries including ICT, education, health care, retail and banking.