Emerging markets lag in the adoption of cloud-friendly policies: Study

India ranks 20th out of 24 leading IT economies, compared to its ranking of 18th in 2016, a sign that the legal and regulatory environment for cloud computing in the country is restricting cloud innovation, according to the 2018 Global Cloud Computing Scorecard released by BSA | The Software Alliance. In 2018, most nations continue to make improvements, but some markets are falling further behind. Germany scored the highest on the Scorecard-due to its national cybersecurity policies and promotion of free trade-followed closely by Japan and the US. Bringing up the rear is a small group of nations that has failed to embrace the international approach: Russia, China, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

One of the key findings is, advanced privacy and security policies set leading countries apart from lagging markets. Countries continue to update and refine data protection regimes, most often in a way that enables cross-border data flows. Several countries, however, still have not adopted adequate privacy laws. Also, emerging markets continue to lag in the adoption of cloud-friendly policies, hindering their growth, while deviations from widely adopted regimes and international agreements hold back key markets. Global standards, certifications, and testing help improve the security environment for cloud computing, but not every country recognises such best practices as meeting local standards. Those few nations that have embraced localisation policies also pay a heavy price. Also, as even though nearly all countries continue to work to improve broadband access, the success of those efforts remains very inconsistent.

Companies must balance human, automation services

Forty-nine per cent of consumers across sectors have been with their service providers for more than three years, compared with 61 per cent from a similar study in 2015, according to a survey of over 36,000 consumers across 18 countries by customer engagement company Verint Systems Inc. While retention rates have fallen sharply across all age groups, the results for consumers aged 18-25 indicate cause for concern, as this demographic will become an even more vital and influential audience for organisations in 2030. Just 28 per cent of customers in this age bracket have been with their service providers for more than three years, and 14 per cent have been with their service provider for less than a year.

The study also found that 69 per cent respondents said a company’s ethics are a major deciding factor when choosing to engage with an organisation, and 49 per cent said they were more likely to switch providers for ethical reasons. While technology will continue to influence how customers engage with organisations, 76 per cent said they want human contact to remain part of customer service; 63 per cent said they are happy to be served by a chatbot if they have the option to escalate the conversation to a human. “The message for organisations is clear. Companies must be honest and transparent, both key qualities that must come through in every element of the customer experience,” said Ryan Hollenbeck, senior VP, global marketing, and executive sponsor of the Verint Customer Experience Program. “To excel, they need to ensure they have the right mix of digital and human engagement options to offer speed, convenience and the personal touch.”