Since the industrial age, every decade has seen one core disruptive technology that allows the leaders to build a competitive advantage over the laggards. Longstanding moguls like Blockbuster and Microsoft was dethroned through the vigilant and strategic ploys of budding startups like Netflix and Google.
The 2001-2010 decade may be about the ubiquitous spread and maturation of the internet, but the next decade will start with the rapid spread of the base internet onto digital devices, from gadgets to education to healthcare, and even clothes. While avoiding digital strategy was still feasible in the 2001 decade, evading a digital strategy into 2011 decade will have dire consequences.
Developing a vision and prioritizing a set of digital initiatives in an evolving roadmap will need to be high on the executive agenda to ensure companies capitalize on digital technologies to enhance the brand, extend capabilities, and facilitate business processes & functions.