Middle Eastern businesses are rapidly investing in cloud and mobile solutions at a rate far surpassing other EMEA markets, said Canon Middle East in its “Office Insights 2018” report released at the ongoing Gitex Technology Week in Dubai, UAE.

Canon, a leader in imaging solutions, will be demonstrating its innovative solutions and services, designed to drive digital transformation success, at the event running until October 18 at Dubai World Trade Center.

Key findings of the study:

•    83 per cent of Middle Eastern respondents voted cloud-based document access as important or critical
•    67 per cent are already using cloud solutions on a daily basis
•    93 per cent of Middle Eastern respondents use an Enterprise Resource Planning system to efficiently manage information flow across different departments or sites

Rapid innovation is changing the nature of offices beyond its conventional boundaries, as knowledge workers can be productive anywhere, thanks to mobile, cloud, faster network access, and a growing number of online collaboration tools. The digital workplace of tomorrow is certainly beginning to take shape in the Middle East where a third of people in senior management positions have shifted from seeing little to no value in cloud and mobile services two years ago, to embracing the technology today.

With over 50 per cent of Middle Eastern businesses believing that the cloud gives them an edge over their competitors and over 50 per cent believing that it improves workforce productivity, it is no surprise that cloud technology is a key driver of technological advancement in the region.

The opportunity for cloud-based technology is far from shrinking, as 83 per cent of Middle Eastern respondents consider cloud-based document access important or critical to business success, compared to 67 per cent in the larger EMEA region. Around 67 per cent are already using cloud-based solutions in the Middle East, double the EMEA region average of 34 per cent.

The Middle Eastern region has also demonstrated a strong support for mobile working, with 60 per cent of respondents citing the positive impact it has had on their businesses and 51 per cent of IT departments in the region providing support to employees’ personal devices.

Respondents also believe that social media makes the workplace more collaborative, that remote working makes people more productive, and that personal devices should be brought into work. This attitude has meant that the adoption of cloud and mobile services has been faster in the Middle East than in other regions across Africa and Eurasia, with strong and impressive results.  

On cloud-based document management and automation, 85 per cent of Middle East respondents consider it critical or important to convert paper documents to editable, digital ones, recognizing that an organization can only harness the full potential of digital by integrating it into every facet of the enterprise.

While no enterprises in the Middle East have entirely stopped using transactional hard copies, 34 per cent are focused on halting their use in the next 12 months. A longer timeframe for phasing out hard copies is planned among 39 per cent of businesses in the region, who look to achieve this goal in the coming 2-3 years, and 16 per cent in the next 4-5 years.

The vast majority of ME respondents agree that more automation is inevitable, clearly outlining that this is the direction that the majority of workplaces are headed. From the Middle East, 93 per cent of respondents already use Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems or similar, designed to efficiently manage information flow across different departments or sites.

Despite the fact that 57 per cent of respondents worry about losing data in the cloud, this does not seem to deter the uptake of cloud solutions. The Middle East region is the most likely to be enhancing document security in the next 1-2 years (46 per cent) whereas the average in EMEA is only 25 per cent. This concern is translating into real-world action, with 55 per cent in the Middle East consulting with external specialists to help them with document management solutions.

Ayman Aly, senior marketing manager, Canon Middle East said: “It is very encouraging to see how aware our region is of the benefits of cloud and how best to implement it, making the most of upfront investments.”

“When done right, cloud technologies and mobile access can actually improve both security and productivity, allowing users to access lost data, help to wipe machines remotely, and enable flexible working on-the-move. Understandably, many businesses are still cautious about integrating mobile and cloud technology into the office landscape. Our aim is to continue providing support and education to our customers and business partners in the Middle East, to ensure that they are able to reach their full potential, no matter the size or nature of their industry.”

At Gitex Technology Week 2018, Canon is demonstrating the future workplace through three experience zones highlighting the customer benefits of digital transformation in security, automation, print, mobile and cloud. Recognizing that wider and better use of social networks, data analytics, and smart technologies are having monumental effects on productivity and expectations, Canon focuses on unlocking additional opportunities for businesses through the creation of secure spaces conducive to collaboration.  

“The office of the future is marked by digitization, automation and optimization, propelling innovation across the entire organization. Canon is committed to work with our clients on their digital transformation journey to update key processes and seize opportunities for automated efficiency while maintaining and improving digital workflows,” added Bakhour. – TradeArabia News Service