Tech Insights: Interview with Daniel Cran, LogMeIn

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

Security and data privacy have always topped the list of priorities for IT professionals and, hopefully, for technology vendors. What changed in 2015 and will likely escalate in the coming year is an increasingly heightened awareness of security and data privacy issues amongst consumers and business leaders. In the midst of this, the ICT industry faces the challenge of having to connect an increasingly mobile and global workforce. To stay ahead, businesses must invest in tools that align with the realities and working styles of the modern worker and work environment.

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

The explosion in customer data and insights presents an opportunity for companies to uncover actionable data and drive tangible insights. Growth opportunities lie in taking these insights to transform customer engagement and build loyalty — from product development to point of sale to customer support. Closely linked is an opportunity to leverage the growing channels of customer support as a way of reinvigorating customer communication, engagement and support.

While this 'omnichannel' approach is creating new avenues of communication, it also means rethinking and restructuring support models. With 76% of customers surveyed by Ovum having stopped doing business with a brand following a bad customer experience, customer service is no longer purely about gaining a competitive advantage, but staying relevant in this era of connected consumers.

What new and innovative technologies do you see emerging in your IT solution categories in 2016, and how will they help your customers?

Video-aided customer support. Remote support is tried and true for tech service providers as it provides the dual benefit of increasing customer satisfaction through resolving issues quickly, and reducing cost. As everything becomes connected, organisations have to rethink the ways they support customers. This refers to a natural progression of delivering support on digital products, soon-to-be connected devices and connected devices. In the IoT world, this will mean both self-serve and direct support.

As remote support also removes the need to ship large volumes of returned products that may not have been faulty, it significantly cuts costs associated with on-site technical support.

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

The Internet of Things continues to dominate the technology sector, and conversations have shifted from 'if' to 'how' companies can build connected businesses. At its core is a growing understanding that businesses must not only connect quickly and seamlessly, but securely. The need for managing identities and access in the IoT — and the critical role identity management plays in device, data and user security — became a hot topic in 2015.

Daniel Cran is the APAC Director at LogMeIn. With over 14 years' experience in the digital space, Daniel has managed regional customer experience across global technology and logistics companies such as Experian, Fliway and Spring Global Mail.