Saudi Gazette RIYADH — Digital transformation continues to show a positive trend in the Kingdom, with a focus and commitment among the public and private sector, and from organizations of all sizes. The global cloud major, Oracle, also holds that Saudi Arabia is approaching digital transformation in a more organized and strategic manner than many other markets. "Even if the intent to transform is present in a number of countries, the ability to execute seamlessly seems to be missing, leading to some digital chaos. This sets the Kingdom apart on the international stage", said John Fowler, Executive Vice President, Oracle Systems division, in an interview with Saudi Gazette. He added "digital transformation in the Kingdom is driven by industry sectors as diverse as telecommunications and banking, which typically lead these transitions, as well as the more traditional sectors such as manufacturing." "This unified approach by a nation toward transformation is the result of a strong government Vision, supported by Transformation Plans that support these broader objectives. When you look at the factors driving this transformation, the government takes the lead on policy and strategic direction, while consumers, in a digitally-enabled era, demand everything instantly. The clear marker for a nation's digital transformation is when government services are digitized and citizen services and facilities can be requested and accessed electronically," Fowler added. With this already a reality in the Kingdom, the only question now is how deep the transformation agenda will continue across the public and private sector including SMEs in Saudi Arabia. Analysts have already reported an upward trend in IT spends, with Saudi Arabia expected to spend $7.5 billion in 2017, according to IDC. "It is evident that the Saudi government is approaching digital transformation with a view to empowering individuals and organizations. With an educated populace, the Kingdom will continue to lead the way in innovating as well as taking advantage of new technologies, particularly as a result of building an informed community in an environment that provides easy access to information for all," he noted. Oracle has worked with a number of customers in the Kingdom for decades now, including key public sector entities and ministries. Fowler stressed that with Oracle's cloud solution built on hardware and software from the same company, the approach to building their market-leading solutions is much more cohesive and innovative, and assures customers of improved security, lower cost of ownership, more seamless upgrades, and better commercial models. "My vision is to bring extremely efficient and highly-secured services to everyone. When you consider recent developments and how organizations have been impacted, the security aspect becomes even more important. I would say it is even the number one issue on everyone's mind. We understand this, and are investing our time and efforts into ensuring that all our offerings come bundled with the best security capabilities, securing our customers while they build their future success with Oracle," Fowler remarked.
