Is your enterprise ready for the next FIFA World Cup ?

The Federation International Futbol Association (FIFA) elects the host for the World Cup four years in advance. This should be plenty of time for impacted companies to be prepared. But some companies will be more successful than other when embracing this opportunity.

When a business invests in events like this, IT must be sufficiently agile to respond to market opportunities in a timely manner. This is where the New Style of IT comes into play: it reduces the distance between today and tomorrow, providing easy ways to integrate your data, Apps and clients, allowing quick response to new market conditions.

Of course not all companies are impacted by big events like this. And with advance notice, it is reasonable to assume that any challenge could be met with an appropriate investment. But what if you don´t have four years? What if the event presents an immediate opportunity for growth? What if even with proper investment, IT can´t respond fast enough?

In Brazil, companies are preparing for the FIFA 2014 World Cup. In the Communications and Entertainment industry, Brazilian companies must adhere to FIFA standards and provide services that are already quite common for other FIFA events. For those companies that have an agile and flexible IT environment, their progress has been fine. For others that have not adopted the New Style of IT, they are less prepared.  They have struggled to raise the bar and implement the necessary standards, services and products.  The last two years have not been very easy for them.

In short: don´t wait to be forced by changing market conditions or major events like the World Cup to invest in the New Style of IT. CIOs must address new trends and seize emerging opportunities as soon as possible.  They must prepare IT for upcoming technology challenges, especially those driving new user experience interactions with clients and customers. 

But steps taken in this direction should be driven by the business. This is one of the few times when IT is not a co-leader. With business needs setting the pace, IT can then change the way products are developed. Putting the client at the heart of your Apps can reveal very different ways to do business. Interaction, behavior analysis, habits, instant access, are now allies of an enterprise that looks to create a rich customer experience. The result: products and services that better fit your client's needs and expectations.

Are you ready for the next “World Cup” that can impact your business?