Page 4 - SAMENA Trends - May 2020

EDITORIAL SAMENA TRENDS

Data Usage Landscape amidst COVID-19

Industry-wide change catalyzed by COVID-19 in the need for and the use of data. Here, data
merits that new data-centric strategies be analytics has a tremendous scope.
adopted to accommodate high data influxes
being experienced by networks all around the It is now more important than ever before
world. Streaming content services, the use that cybersecurity take a central role in
of social media outlets to stay informed of our strategy to not only protect corporate
changes in the environs, video conferencing networks, or digital infrastructure from
to deliver academic instruction and to intrusion, or ward off against other forms of
remain connected on business matters, have manipulation of systems or humans through
increased manifold over the past two quarters digital means, but also to protect the general
of the year 2020. Data traffic implications due public and businesses against threats,
to these trends are significant, indicating including infodemics of both misinformation
that data-usage landscape as abruptly and cybercrime.
transformed in a matter of months. Bocar A. BA
Ultimately, all data usage trends and data Chief Executive Officer & Board
COVID-19 has accelerated digital protection measures to make data access Member
transformation, causing reliance on network and use efficient and meaningful, will have a SAMENA Telecommunications
capabilities and digital infrastructure to be felt, direct impact on our collective ability to make Council
physically. In the prevailing situation, the way progress on the Connect 2030 agenda and
we now access and use the Internet has so to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals
dramatically changed. It has now been proven (SDGs). These are matters of importance to
that the presence of digital infrastructure is companies, governments, and institutions
indeed critical to our operation as a society, alike. Through state-level incentivization
which is increasingly becoming data-driven of data protection and cybersecurity
by each passing day. implementation, many co-related issues can
be addressed, such as the online safety of
As is now being discussed across the young citizens and children, and proliferation
Industry, the COVID-19 crisis has reinforced of digital services in the financial, education,
the role of and the need for more data centers and medical sectors, and sustainability
across the markets and cross-border data issues for the enterprise sector.
flows across nations as a necessary part
of the envisioned (and inevitable) digital Implementing well-defined data-oriented
transformation; and cloud, leveraging big strategies requires both strengthening
data and artificial intelligence, has become cooperation and achieving better coordination
among the key defining enablers for the next on digital governance systems, as well as
industry transformation wave. Moreover, implementing the right technology solutions.
as our Industry and its vertical industry Fulfillment of the Connect 2030 agenda,
segments and enterprise customers learn or any national ICT vision for that matter,
to better exploit the power of ICTs, to reset likewise, requires that data usage trends of
themselves on the path to growth and the COVID-19 and 5G era be kept in mind, and
sustainability, numerous shared challenges that focus be given to fostering relevance and
in the new journey into the world of digital digital trust in the use of data.
connectivity and data are expected to emerge

4 MAY 2020