The Growing Volume of Data is An Invisible Engine of Change.

Kalin Dimtchev is Country Manager of Microsoft Bulgaria, and Country Manager Lead for the CEE Multi-Country region which includes 24 countries. He has over 15 years of management experience. In his previous role as a Country Leader for IBM Kalin was responsible for all of IBM’s business activities in Bulgaria and Ukraine.

We live in times of uncertainty and we see that no business is immune to the crisis and no organization is so flexible as to be fully prepared for the current situation of constant change. In this new environment, we have seen that business flexibility and adaptability are now the most important parts of success. The ones who respond immediately to the crisis show that they have a solid foundation and the potential for a speedy recovery. There is a need for transformation in every industry - many organizations defined success in one way up until yesterday, but today it means something completely different. In times of such instability, it is good for organizations to make plans and make decisions aimed at their digital maturity which reduce the risks for their future development.

Acceleration

We see how technologies are being used that are taking over our everyday lives. Cloud technologies, for example, help to work remotely, to learn, to interact under difficult circumstances, to support business in unpredictable situations, to help develop new products in various fields. They are also needed in the provision of services in life-critical areas, such as healthcare. Virtually every sector is affected by this technological change. The pandemic has simply accelerated it and expanded the “scenarios” in which technology is used. We believe that this is a sustainable trend that will continue and encourage a number of businesses to take advantage of innovations in cloud technology and artificial intelligence.

Penetration

Microsoft has announced a presence in over 60 cloud regions around the world and in over 140 countries. The Artificial Intelligence for Good initiative provides technological expertise to people and non-profit organizations who want to focus on different causes - the environment and the Earth, humanitarian aid, enrichment of cultural heritage, healthcare. High technologies will enter all areas, will become more and more widespread, but they will also be much more accessible due to cloud technologies, which provide a fast and secure platform for various businesses.

Cloud technologies

Cloud technologies open up enormous opportunities to address the world's greatest challenges. Our main goal is to provide technologies, but also to be in close contact with those who use them. We have witnessed how in Bulgaria education managed to go digital in just a few days and the basis for this is our cloud platform. So far, over 40% of teachers and students benefit from it.

Speed

Companies that are most adaptable to the current change will redraw the future of the field in which they are developing. But the future in many sectors is already here with the availability of technology, with innovation and the speed with which everything is changing. In these new challenges, technology is a key element. Data needs to be protected, and Microsoft is investing more than $ 1 billion in security research, relying on more than 3,500 experts.

Where to

The vision for the future is created as an accumulation of the innovators and all those who are brave enough to use the new opportunities. The engine of change is one of the invisible resources that we have - the growing amount of data which is being generated in unlimited volumes. The speed of its appearance is constantly increasing. By 2025, data worldwide is expected to grow to 175 zetabytes. When we talk about increasing the volume of data, we must note that even our boldest predictions always turn out to be surpassed by reality. The key question remains how we will deal with this avalanche-growing volume of data in the future. And if everyone uses data efficiently in their business, they have a chance to be among the leaders in innovation.

Digital skills

• The need for skills and training is growing.
• Microsoft is taking steps to provide wider access to digital skills development courses.
• In just half a year, Microsoft has reached 25 million people worldwide with its educational programs.
• Technological training of people is a factor that will affect the economic environment in the long run.

175 zetabytes, or 175 trillion gigabytes, will be the volume of data in 2025 worldwide. This amount information, put on CDs, will cover the way from the Earth to the Moon 23 times.