The 2017 Digital Trends in the Technology Sector report demonstrates that organisations within the sector that is transforming many others are leaders in digital integration, but are having to transform their internal structures and strategies to adapt to changing customer demands and behaviours, putting the customer first rather than the product.

The research, conducted by Econsultancy in partnership with Adobe, is based on a sample of over 900 respondents working in the technology sector who were among more than 14,000 digital professionals taking part in the seventh annual Digital Trends survey, carried out in November and December 2016.

The following sections are featured in the report:

  • Technology organisations lead in digital maturity
  • The customer takes centre stage
  • The next wave of tech innovation
  • Actionable tips to help future-proof your technology business

Findings include:

  • Organisations in the technology sector are nearly twice as likely as their peers in other sectors to classify themselves as digital-first (19% vs. 10%), putting the sector in third place (after gaming & gambling and media) out of the 15 key sectors we analysed.
  • Tech organisations appear to be prepared for the challenge presented by a rapidly changing industry; across the eight key factors identified for digital success, technology organisations are ahead of other sectors. UX design is one of the areas they excel in, as they’re 23% more likely to say they have ‘well-designed user journeys that facilitate clear communication and a seamless transaction’.
  • The vast majority (81%) of technology companies are putting the customer at the heart of all their initiatives, and customer journey management is the second most important priority for 2017, closely followed by targeting and personalisation.
  • Almost a third (29%) of tech companies are planning to use product/service innovation to differentiate themselves from competitors over the next year. Digital-first organisations reveal their maturity as they are 52% more likely than the rest to see customer experience as a key differentiator, second behind product/service innovation.

 

Econsultancy’s Digital Intelligence Briefings, sponsored by Adobe, look at some of the most important trends affecting the marketing landscape.