Data to decisions Enterprises need to shift from data-centric to decision/change-centric. Consider the question: Why are we doing this analysis and what are we actually trying to do. Begin by looking for areas in the business that need to be changed or are in the process of changing. Any analysis will be used to improve a problem area and to influence and guide the change, instead of remaining an analysis that no one acts on. Everything starts with the change and what decisions are associated with that change. Tactical to strategic decision makers Look at who is consuming the information within the organization. Analysis is valuable to everyone in the organization from the CEO down and should impact strategic decisions.

The technologies on Gartner Inc.'s Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, 2016 reveal three distinct technology trends that are poised to be of the highest priority for organizations facing rapidly accelerating digital business innovation. Transparently immersive experiences, the perceptual smart machine age, and the platform revolution are the three overarching technology trends that profoundly create new experiences with unrivaled intelligence and offer platforms that allow organizations to connect with new business ecosystems. The Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies report is the longest-running annual Gartner Hype Cycle, providing a cross-industry perspective on the technologies and trends that business strategists, chief innovation officers, R&D leaders, entrepreneurs, global market developers and emerging-technology teams should consider in developing emerging-technology portfolios. "The Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies is unique among most Hype Cycles because it distills insights from more than 2,000 technologies into a succinct set of must-know emerging technologies and trends that will have the single greatest impact on an organization's strategic planning," said Mike J. Walker, research director at Gartner. "This Hype Cycle specifically focuses on the set of technologies that is showing promise in delivering a high degree of competitive advantage over the next five to 10 years."

The increasing pace of digital is changing civilization as we know it, according Peter Sondergaard, senior vice president of Gartner Research, who spoke on Oct. 17 from the middle of a harsh spotlight on a darkened stage at the Gartner Symposium ITxpo 2016 in Orlando, Florida. The digital world around us is in a permanent state of upgrade," he warned. The dramatic words were followed by other speeches delivered by Daryl Plummer, vice president and Gartner fellow, and Hung LeHong, vice president and Gartner fellow. The speeches were no less dramatic, but rather less dark, taking their tone from another early passage in Sondergaard's speech: "CIOs are builders again." CIOs are building an infrastructure for an increasingly digital business, Sondergaard said, noting that Gartner is estimating that within three years more than half the value of most company's products will arise from their digital content. That digital content will be built on a digital platform and an infrastructure that is critical because, according to Sondergaard, "When you build it, it will bring the capability to reach customers and things more intelligently." Traditional core IT systems remain important to the organization, because the business must continue to operate while the digital transformation takes place. This traditional IT is Mode 1 in Gartner's Bimodal IT model, with Mode 2 as the dynamic, transformative digitalization mode. LeHong said, "You don't need two organizations for bimodal.

Does it seem like your virtual personal assistant (VPA) knows everything about your life? Microsoft's Cortana can give you reminders, track packages, send emails or texts, keep track of your flights and even remind you to say happy birthday to your cousin next time she calls. According to Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, developers made deliberate design decisions with customers in mind as the company moves into the world of artificial intelligence (AI). "When it comes to AI, the fundamental vision I have is that AI will be infused into everything," Mr. Nadella said in the Mastermind Interview at Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2016 in Orlando. "The currency going forward is going to be how to build trust in technology so that people and organizations are comfortable using more technology, and I think that's one of the pressing issues of our time," he said.

The increasing pace of digital is changing civilization as we know it, according Peter Sondergaard, senior vice president of Gartner Research, who spoke on Oct. 17 from the middle of a harsh spotlight on a darkened stage at the Gartner Symposium ITxpo 2016 in Orlando, Florida. The digital world around us is in a permanent state of upgrade," he warned. The dramatic words were followed by other speeches delivered by Daryl Plummer, vice president and Gartner fellow, and Hung LeHong, vice president and Gartner fellow. The speeches were no less dramatic, but rather less dark, taking their tone from another early passage in Sondergaard's speech: "CIOs are builders again." CIOs are building an infrastructure for an increasingly digital business, Sondergaard said, noting that Gartner is estimating that within three years more than half the value of most company's products will arise from their digital content. That digital content will be built on a digital platform and an infrastructure that is critical because, according to Sondergaard, "When you build it, it will bring the capability to reach customers and things more intelligently." Traditional core IT systems remain important to the organization, because the business must continue to operate while the digital transformation takes place. This traditional IT is Mode 1 in Gartner's Bimodal IT model, with Mode 2 as the dynamic, transformative digitalization mode. LeHong said, "You don't need two organizations for bimodal.

The technologies on Gartner Inc.'s Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, 2016 reveal three distinct technology trends that are poised to be of the highest priority for organizations facing rapidly accelerating digital business innovation. Transparently immersive experiences, the perceptual smart machine age, and the platform revolution are the three overarching technology trends that profoundly create new experiences with unrivaled intelligence and offer platforms that allow organizations to connect with new business ecosystems. The Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies report is the longest-running annual Gartner Hype Cycle, providing a cross-industry perspective on the technologies and trends that business strategists, chief innovation officers, R&D leaders, entrepreneurs, global market developers and emerging-technology teams should consider in developing emerging-technology portfolios. "The Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies is unique among most Hype Cycles because it distills insights from more than 2,000 technologies into a succinct set of must-know emerging technologies and trends that will have the single greatest impact on an organization's strategic planning," said Mike J. Walker, research director at Gartner. "This Hype Cycle specifically focuses on the set of technologies that is showing promise in delivering a high degree of competitive advantage over the next five to 10 years."

Here's a scene from our digital future: You sit down to dinner at a restaurant where your server was selected by a "robo-boss" based on an optimized match of personality and interaction profile, and the angle at which he presents your plate, or how quickly he smiles can be evaluated for further review. Or, perhaps you walk into a store to try on clothes and ask the digital customer assistant embedded in the mirror to recommend an outfit in your size, in stock and on sale. Afterwards, you simply tell it to bill you from your mobile and skip the checkout line. These scenarios describe two predictions in what will be an algorithmic and smart machine driven world where people and machines must define harmonious relationships. In his session at Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2016 in Orlando, Daryl Plummer, vice president, distinguished analyst and Gartner Fellow, discussed how Gartner's Top Predictions begin to separate us from the mere notion of technology adoption and draw us more deeply into issues surrounding what it means to be human in a digital world.