The mobility, enterprise and consumer electronics industries are being funda¬mentally changed by a new type of business model called the “superstack.” Accenture defines a superstack as a more extensive and cohesive integration of operating systems, semiconductors, devices, applications and end user services than the industry has traditionally achieved.
Competing in the superstack arena is a matter of survival as the industry moves full throttle in this direction. Some high-tech sectors are already there, such as mobile handsets, digital media services and connected TVs. Other sectors may take longer to adapt because they’re not as far along in this superstack evolution.
To better understand the superstack, we interviewed 30 senior executive at large high-tech companies in communications, consumer and enterprise technologies along with, semiconductors and software vendors. The research tested the validity of the superstack model and sought insights into how companies address this trend and what is needed to successfully execute a superstack strategy. The research resulted in a new research report.
Our research found that executives already have a firm understanding of what superstacks mean for their businesses. An overwhelming majority (83 percent) see superstacks as a top initiative affecting their oper¬ations, causing them to shift their strategic focus in ways that best leverage this trans¬formation. Virtually all of the respondents (96 percent) view superstacks as an opportunity rather than a threat.
Seventy percent of respondents cited mobility as the key superstack driver, the first and most active superstack market. Mobility encompasses everything from consumer tablets and smartphones to machine-to-machine technology and mobile applications. Fueling new business models in health care, financial services and retail, mobility ranks as by far the most powerful game changer driving the need for super¬stacks.
With mobility superstack battles spreading now to enterprise and consumer markets, the implications are profound for all high-tech players.
Another superstack opportunity is the consumerization of IT in the enterprise. A rapidly growing number of employees are bringing a more diverse range of devices to work and are expecting broader interoperability with enterprise applications. Employers should verify secure access to these resources and deliver them in a way that mimics user-friendliness of commercial applications. A superstack is well-suited to deliver the necessary integration and scope to address this need.
Acquiring a superstack While there is considerable agreement that the superstack is a significanct opportunity for technology providers, there is far less consensus on how to achieve it. Some high tech companies will focus their efforts on a few layers of the stack such as semiconductors and operating systems, while others may branch out through each layer.
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