Daily Post 1295
FRUGAL, ROBUST & MAINSTREAM
Frugal, robust and mainstream is the future of IT in the post pandemic world, the failure to do so will be a doomsday scenario even in a situation where digital transformation is taking at a pace, which could not be have been even imagined two months back. What should be underlined that this happening with regards with connectivity, online working capabilities by way meetings, trainings etc and the dire need of the academic world to conduct education online. Examinations might also follow suit. Most of these tools are MNC products either free or at a very affordable model.
The present transformation to online certainly did not cost a bomb nor has it been demanding on the IT services industry, which the lockdown was non-existent on the ground. The product and services market will have a solid hit as capital cost investments would not be made and services would be brought to the barest minimum. Vendors would vie to provide at the cheapest possible rates. However low the price may be, the customer would demand nothing less than a robust service, nothing less would be acceptable. So would be the demand and pressure from every business. Cost cutting would have a cascading impact on the IT industry.
The work style and life style of the IT has been the envy of all, from the food to the weekends, from workspaces to travel not to say work from home peppered in. Style statement in short. They had the capability to hike the overall pricing in areas where they majorly inhabited from the Bay Area to Bangalore. From McKinsy to PWC to KMGP have been known for their hefty billing. Now they are running to shed their flab. The issue is not of shedding people, the issue is overpricing, the per unit cost, can the companies not become frugal.
The cost of living tax of IT and connected companies on their customers both private and governed cannot be borne in the post pandemic world. Existential expenditure will gain precedence over IT spending. The cost has to match the actual delivery from the customers point of view, the benefit derived and the pain points taken care of. It cannot be IT projects with pushing timelines and inflating costs. They have to come to the ground to understand the harsh realities of people, customers, businesses and then make difficult choices and reinvent themselves. Lots would get wiped out. Delivering only mainstream products / services, fully robust at frugal pricing is the mantra.
IT INDUSTRY HAS TO COME DOWN TO A LEVEL WHERE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD.