As business and society become increasingly intertwined…

….companies must evolve more quickly. And the financial crisis makes this need even more pressing. Today’s firms face huge challenges: CIOs and IT managers must juggle the issues of Web 2.0, security and cost pressure. They must analyze new technological trends and offer a new generation of employees – digital natives – attractive opportunities. At the same time, IT has to be green, and mobile access simple and secure.

So what should companies focus on? And which technology can help? Based on current social and technological megatrends, T-Systems has defined five core beliefs that form the guiding principles of its ICT portfolio.

Megatrend number one: enterprises are increasingly sourcing IT services from networks. We call it dynamic net-centric sourcing – which is essentially a form of cloud computing. The flexible, on-demand sourcing of IT services and pay-peruse models make companies more agile, enabling them to respond rapidly to changing market requirements.

The second key trend: collaboration. Each and every product today is the result of collaboration between multiple companies, partners and customers – often based in different locations around the globe. The automotive industry is a pioneer of this trend, with suppliers working closely together to align their services. We offer madeto-measure platforms for these new types of collaboration.

Third: mobility remains an important trend. Companies are making it possible for employees to work anywhere, anytime and using any end device. This enhances collaboration and increases prod-uctivity. And workers enjoy the freedom it offers. At CeBIT, we will unveil SAP for the iPhone, with a dedicated application for mobile use. And we are exploring the possibilities of the connected vehicle, which will soon join the cell-phone and PC on the data highway.

Whether in cloud computing, virtual collaboration or mobility – security and governance are of paramount importance. There’s no question about it. And that’s why this topic is our fourth core belief.

Our fifth core belief is sustainability. Deutsche Telekom is one of the leaders in this field. The group’s customers, investors and employees are all committed to sustainable business. For many companies, a sustainable approach to business carries two benefits: on the one hand, they gain the favor and trust of their customers; on the other hand, they can increase efficiency by investing in green ICT or electronic and automated processes. We have already seen great progress in the energy sector, and education and health are also paving the way with new innovations.

Leveraging our five core beliefs, we hope to shape the connected future of life and work. As an enabler, we help companies master the specific challenges they face. Stepping into the future together makes for more satisfied customers. And that’s something I am particularly proud of.

By the way, we will be providing a glimpse of what the future holds at CeBIT. I look forward to seeing you there.

Best regards,
Reinhard Clemens