Key trends driving the future of technology adoption and how to seize the opportunity this presents

Adnan Sarwar, Channel Strategy Lead at Vodafone Business explores the key trends shaping the future of technology adoption. Investigating the results of our Partner of the Future research, Adnan takes a look at how channel partners can: 

• Help end users find the right balance between emerging and established technologies 

• Realign their businesses with changing market demands to maximise the opportunity 

• Provide insights on how to maximise ROI by combining these technologies. 

Progress goes beyond technology adoption

In today’s hyper-connected world, the pace of innovation has reached unprecedented levels. Businesses are no longer just adopting technology – it’s now an essential part of their operations.

That’s why we commissioned our Partner of the Future research study, to understand the challenges faced by partners and end users. Through this research, we’ve identified the key trends reshaping the market, the future of partner-client relationships, and the steps that channel partners must take to stay competitive.

Technology, people and economic trends

We asked end users which trends they expected to have the greatest influence on their companies over the coming 12 months.

A resounding 86% of them told us technology would be a key area of influence, surpassing people trends at 50%, which covered topics like remote working, skill shortages and workplace diversity. Only one in five businesses (21%) were concerned with sustainability initiatives, while financial concerns, such as cost pressures (17%) and slow economic growth (14%) played a less significant role.

Although economic pressures and cost challenges are still relevant concerns, organisations are now focusing on how to extract value, not just cost efficiencies, from the technologies they adopt.

This presents an opportunity that will benefit channel partners and end users alike.

Navigating the new frontier

Our research shows that 81% of end users increased their focus on emerging technologies in the past six months alone. In addition, a near-unanimous 96% see these technologies as integral to their company’s vision for the future.

This means that businesses are exploring solutions such as:

• AI for faster, data-driven decision-making

• Unified Communications and Collaboration tools to enhance workforce efficiency

• 5G and IoT to power hyper-connectivity

• AR and VR for immersive customer experiences, enhanced logistics and workforce efficiencies

• Cloud and edge computing for agile, scalable operations

• SaaS for flexible, subscription-based access to powerful software solutions

• Robotics and automation to improve productivity

These technologies promise significant opportunities for innovation, but the journey involves more than just focusing on new and emerging technologies. The secret to long-term success lies in balancing emerging tech with the reliability of mature solutions.

This is why balance matters

Emerging technologies open doors to possibilities that were once unimaginable. When deployed correctly, they can drive innovation, enable experiential marketing campaigns and revolutionise business strategies.  

But all this rapid evolution, along with implementation and testing, can create risks such as system vulnerabilities, integration challenges or infrastructure instabilities. 

That’s where mature technologies come into play. These tried-and-tested solutions, such as secure mobile and broadband connectivity, ensure critical operations run smoothly, while offering reliable scalability. They deliver the stability necessary to support leading-edge innovations. 

It’s a delicate balance, requiring thoughtful planning, and many end users know this already. Our Partner of the Future research shows that 68% of organisations see mature technologies as essential to their future.  

By combining the flexibility of emerging technology with the reliability of established solutions, businesses can create a resilient and forward-looking tech adoption strategy. 

So, what does this mean for channel partners? 

Seizing the opportunity

Future partner success can be achieved by adopting a balanced approach and aligning your business with changing demands.  

Here are some key steps for partners to consider: 

Identify your customers’ emerging priorities 
Invest time in understanding which emerging technologies excite your customers, and also how they align with their business goals. At the same time, ensure you address their foundational needs with mature solutions.  

Enable seamless integration 
Help your customers adopt emerging technologies as part of a wider, cohesive strategy. Always make sure they integrate effectively with the existing infrastructure to enable the highest level of positive impact. 

Provide strategic guidance 
Your role is changing. Position your business not only as a technology provider, but as a trusted, knowledgeable advisor. Offer insights on how to maximise ROI from a combination of emerging and mature technologies.

Focus on security and scalability
Security remains a top concern for businesses adopting new technologies. By offering a scalable and secure network, you can build trust and give end users confidence in your expertise.

Balancing the best of both worlds with Vodafone Business

We understand the essential balance between emerging and mature technologies. Our solutions are designed to integrate the latest innovations with dependable, scalable solutions that support core business functions.

We’re your partner in transformation, working closely with the channel to identify opportunities, overcome challenges and achieve meaningful results in a constantly changing market. We help you to evaluate, adjust and strengthen your position in line with the changing needs of end users.

By exploring technological and business demands, we’ve built a solid framework for partner growth. Join our partner network today to evaluate, adjust and strengthen your position. We’ll help you to effectively lead your customers into the future.