May 21, 2021 - Tallinn

Press release: ALSO CTV beats records: Future prospects for all areas of the ICT industry

The International Channel Trends+Visions 2021 took place on 19 May. Last year's benchmark of 10,000 visitors was already cracked in the past week – no wonder considering the comprehensive programme that offered something for everyone. A special highlight for many resellers was the tour of the HPE Innovation Center, which gave insight into technologies and concepts that will shape our society in years to come.

Modern Workplace, Hybrid Cloud, Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence – the topics of the keynotes were wide-ranging. In addition to industry leaders such as Bernhard Fauser (HP), Nikki Meyer (Microsoft), Henning Ohlsson (Epson) and Gordon Thomson (Cisco), AI expert Thomas Terney, Vitra trend scout Raphael Gielgen and New Work podcaster Christoph Magnussen were among the speakers.

Gustavo Möller-Hergt, CEO of ALSO Holding AG (SIX: ALSN), explained the key drivers of the industry in his keynote speech: “The past year has shown the importance of the channel. We have made an significant contribution to overcoming the pandemic. Now we need to use the good results to invest in the future.

What does this mean? The Next Normal is hybrid. Virtual and face-to-face collaboration and communication will have to align seamlessly. IT is the enabler of this new form of flexibility.

The Next Normal is characterised by the new platforms. From as-a-service to IoT, virtualisation or blockchain technology, the opportunities are there. It is crucial that we as a channel take advantage of these opportunities and diversify our business models.

The Next Normal will be sustainable. Here, too, we as the IT industry can make an important contribution, with IoT, with the as-a-service business, with data centres whose energy requirements we reduce, or with a consistent circular economy. But sustainability also means transparency and protecting individuals from digital attacks. In short: we have many opportunities and a great responsibility to help shape this Next Normal.”

With a total of 326 presentations on offer, even with the best will in the world it was not possible to click into all the interesting webinars, presentations or roundtables. That is why the platform is still open until Sunday for registered visitors to view the keynotes and on-demand presentations. Interested parties can register at www.alsoctv.com.