Technological evolution and the latest innovations are transforming industries and business. Businesses are evolving to embrace change, investing in particular in cybersecurity, greater technology integration and artificial intelligence.
Fire extinguishera spin-off company of IBM IT Infrastructure Services and provider of IT infrastructure services, has identified i main trends and challenges that companies will have to face precisely in view of this evolution, guiding them on the digitalization path.
In detail, the company has explored the future of three key sectors: manufacturing, banking and healthcare.
Manufacturing struggles with obsolete systems
The manufacturing sector must ensure stable and safe operations; That’s why industry IT leaders are integrating advanced networks, edge solutions and artificial intelligence to proactively address issues and optimize operational efficiency.
However, many companies still use it obsolete systems who fail to support change and face increasingly pressing security threats due to the numerous devices connected to the internet.
According to the “Kyndryl Readiness Report”, the manufacturing sector is among the least prepared to manage future riskswith only 31% of leaders believing their IT infrastructure is adequate, compared to the average of 39%. Furthermore, although 88% believe they have high-quality IT tools, 55% fear that these technologies are nearing the end of their life cycle.
Companies in the sector are struggling against the skills gap and the difficulty of adapting to changeas well as against investments, especially in AI, which have yet to lead to tangible results.
Following an incremental rather than transformative approach, for many manufacturing companies the digitalization path actually remains unfinished, with priorities such as security and data management remaining unresolved.
According to Kyndryl, in 2025 businesses will have to invest in 5G networks, Wi-Fi and hybrid systems to ensure continuous connectivity in production facilities, enabling rapid processing, real-time communications and in-depth analysis through edge computing.
This level of connectivity will be indispensable for enable the use of generative AI and therefore the management and analysis of large amounts of data in a secure way. Interventions from a security point of view cannot be missing, an aspect that should have the highest priority to guarantee the continuous operation and protection of the systems.
Finally, it will also be necessary to invest in a greater alignment between teams, especially between IT and OTso that investments in advanced technologies bear fruit and the workforce is ready to face risks and opportunities.
Banking leverages technology to meet user needs
Today the realities of the financial sector must contend not only with the increase in digital transactions, but also with a regulatory environment that is changing rapidly and with users asking for more ease of use, security and customization.
To face the change and risks that innovation brings, banks are investing mainly in artificial intelligence and cloudin order to be more agile.
Kyndryl predicts that in 2025 this drive for innovation will not end, but that, on the contrary, there will be even greater investments to modernize environments burdened by technical debt.
If the cloud, on the one hand, will help the sector to control costs and technological complexity, artificial intelligence will be able to support security and the achievement of regulatory compliance.
Unlike manufacturing, the banking and financial sector stands out for a high level of trust in its IT infrastructure: the Kyndryl report highlights that as many as 91% of leaders believe that their IT infrastructure is best in class, while 41 % say it is fully prepared to manage future risks.
However, there is one significant concern: 45% of leaders fear their IT tools or processes are obsolete or near end-of-life.
Trends in the banking sector
According to Kyndryl, the rationalization and simplification of payment applications that will characterize 2025 will lead to the creation of interconnected ecosystems to ensure simplified user experiences.
The focus will be on making payments more fluid and accessible, trying to remain competitive in a market where fintech companies and neobanks are putting traditional operators to the test.
In particular, companies in the banking and payments sectors will focus on creating a bridge between the data residing on their mainframes and AI to improve cybersecurity and compliance, with applications for regulatory controls, fraud detection, Rapid fraud recovery and consumer data protection.
L’Generative AI will be a protagonist not only of the regulatory framework, but also of the activities of anti-money launderingallowing banking institutions to more accurately identify suspicious activity.
Kyndryl also predicts a major increase in soluzioni cloud ed edge: the latter in particular have already enabled more efficient real-time data processing, with significant advantages such as reducing latency, reducing data traffic to central data centers and greater operational resilience.
“Leaders in highly regulated industries make extensive use of edge computing to improve data security and protection, and benefit from the lower latency and reduced costs that come from being able to process data where it is generated” spiega Kyndryl.
Finally, another important trend concerns the use of di tool low-code e no-codeespecially on serverless applications. Adopting these platforms simplifies the management of hybrid computing environments, automates workflows, and enables the development of solutions that personalize the customer experience.
Healthcare focuses on resilience
In recent years the healthcare sector has been forced to modernize its infrastructure to face new challenges with global impact. To avoid being overwhelmed by change, companies in the sector are adopting advanced technologies such as AI, environmental listening and diagnostic imaging, which are able to transform the care experience and enhance the operational efficiency of facilities.
Telemedicine, clinical data integration and advanced management platforms are improving access to care, but there is still work to be done: according to the Kyndryl report, although 92% of healthcare leaders declare themselves confident in their infrastructural capabilities, only 36% consider them sufficiently updated.
Technology obsolescence is still a problem, and 62% of industry IT leaders see it as a major barrier to innovation. To overcome these limitations, it is essential to rely on AI and automation solutions, thus ensuringpersonalized and quality patient care.
Given the challenges to be faced, healthcare CIOs are taking on an increasingly central role. As advanced technologies revolutionize medical research and simplify information collection, the industry must leverage data to personalize care, reduce costs and improve health outcomes.
“Traditional approaches to technology leadership are no longer sufficient to achieve the 360-degree digital integration that healthcare requires today. Chi, within healthcare companies, has responsibilities in managing IT must act as a true strategist, focusing on achieving key objectives and continuously adapting the entire ecosystem” he stated Raffaele PulloPractice Leader Cloud, Applications, Data & AI di Kyndryl Italia.
Generative AI will be central to the industry, especially in use cases such as early diagnosis of diseasesthe simplification of processes related to electronic medical records and the rapid and accurate processing of insurance reimbursements. Currently only 45% of industry leaders who are investing in this technology have shown a positive return on investment; this highlights the need for behavioral change involving both operators and patients.
In Italy the healthcare system can rely on National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) to accelerate digitalisation, helping to bridge the country’s digital divide. PNRR investments enable healthcare institutions to improve clinical data management become more resilient and sustainable, improve patient experience and optimize costs.
Source: www.tomshw.it
