Our concern is that few of today’s ICT providers will serve the business customers of 2032! We have lined up key ­scientific research with business experience of today in order to give ­guidance to both the ICT Industry and its adjacent businesses and industries.

Blurring industrial and company boundaries

Serving Business Customers will not be as usual. 20 years ago we have witnessed the advent of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and eMail as well as mobile voice and data, all in different ­silos. Since then business relationships are becoming increasingly ­digital and embedded into our economy. The digitization of the supply chains within industries has created tremendous value.

But where is potential for ICT value creation the next 20 ­years ahead? Already today, we can depict the clear trend that companies increasingly need to make different linkages across industries, combine different capabilities from many different parties. As individual consumers, we increasingly expect from business companies to bring together communications, navigation, information, media, and transactions from any service providers, on any devices, with a consistent service experience, in order to manage and engage in personal, social and business life, anywhere!” (Seifert, Frank; Theobaldt, Lars et al, 2008. The Road to Full Convergence. Thought Leadership Paper of the Fixed Mobile Convergence Alliance (FMCA) in conjunction with Detecon.). Mobile phones can only become as smart as the fulfilment network, which is behind the user interface!

ICT services provisioning will be about this intelligent linking of business functions from many different industries. ­Previously distinct industries will combine and deliver new customer value: Cars as intelligent hubs in the networks, smart energy grids, self-organising logistics, there are many examples of the ­beginning of this grand emergence. The boundaries between ICT and other industries are blurring, causing the competition for shares in this growing market potential to heat up. Rising sales potential from convergent products and solutions will further push horizontal integration across industrial borders, and of course attract actors from the other industries to lurk for opportunities enveloping EBITDArich ICT value creation and benefit from ‘industry convergence’ (Ø 5 year EBITDA margins of S&P: 21%, wireless telco: 36%, integrated telco 29%, software 25%, utilities 23%, Semiconductors: 23%, office equipment: 18% , FMCG: 11%, computer hardware: 10%).