Rush course in AI is high on the wish list
Amsterdam, 16th March 2023 – Almost a third of Dutch IT professionals (31%) often find emerging technologies difficult to understand, according to research executed by NTT DATA among 500 IT professionals. Adding to the fact that an emerging technology can be difficult to understand, IT professionals also do not always have a good idea of what exactly a new technology entails. The two technologies that IT professionals are least able to envision are low code (23%) and blockchain (22%).
Unable to keep the pace up
The fast pace at which new technologies are introduced is difficult to keep up even for IT professionals. 41 percent struggle to keep up with all the emerging technologies. Moreover, half of IT professionals (51 percent) feel pressure to keep abreast of the industry steps in implementing these new technologies. Fortunately, some also manage to resist this pressure: 22 percent say they do not feel this.
Time for in-service training
Organizations would appreciate obtaining some help in better understanding emerging technologies. For example, 52 percent think their organization should get a crash course on Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. For a similar percentage (51%), a crash course on Intelligent Automation is most welcome. There are also technologies that are less popular for continuing education. Indeed, only 29 percent are interested in a crash course on XR (consisting of VR and AR) and the same percentage for 5G.
Edwin van den Thillart, Director of Enterprise Cloud Solutions at NTT DATA: "It simply takes too much time and money to implement all new technologies in an organization. So before taking the step to implement a new technology, it is important to delve into it and properly assess what that technology can bring to your organization. Don't just go along with any hype. Make sure your employees are well informed about the technologies being implemented, for example by offering crash courses by someone who already has experience with the technology. In this way, you invest in the success of your organization. After all, more knowledge provides an organization with more opportunities, and thus more profit."
About the research
This survey was commissioned by NTT DATA and conducted by PanelWizard among 503 salaried Dutch people (18+) who can describe their current position as IT professional, IT manager or IT specialist. They are employed in financial institutions, wholesale and retail, manufacturing, information and communications and transportation. This survey examined emerging technologies 5G, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Intelligent Automation, Internet of Things, Low code and VR, AR & XR.