Firms Look to Emerging Tech to Drive New Business Models

Rather than supporting existing models, emerging enterprise technology and business innovation have become "inextricably linked in the minds of today's executives," the IT research firm said in a new report listing the year's top new enterprise technologies. "So much of the innovation is led by emerging technology capabilities," Brian Hopkins, a Forrester vice president and principal analyst, told CIO Journal. "The more firms recognize that they are essentially software businesses, the role of the CIO shifts from a cost to a profit center," he said. In a survey earlier this year of more than 2,000 global corporate officials at firms in a range of industries, 40% cited adopting emerging enterprise technology as the top driver for changing business models, ahead of updating processes and restructuring the company, the report said. Likewise, 34% said investing in emerging technologies was a key tactic for boosting innovation, followed by understanding customer needs and re-allocating budgets.