Unzipping the Digital World is a revealing new book by Keith Willetts that gives an eye-opening view into how to thrive and survive in the rapidly evolving digital economy that is permanently changing the world. Packed with practical advice on every page and written in a highly readable and non-technical style, this book is “must read” for anyone involved in creating and delivering communications, cloud or application services.
The book begins by Willetts outlining digital economy drivers including the massive rise in global connectivity, the rapid evolution of cloud services, and the enormous advances in smart devices – not just smartphones and tablets, but connected devices embedded in everything from cars to heart monitors. Ultimately, he claims, the digital economy is enabling major changes in our lives: in what we buy, how we do business, how we are governed, our education, healthcare, entertainment, interaction with others, and in our homes and offices.
As the digital world ushers in the most profound shift since the invention of printing press, opportunities and threats abound. Willetts describes the emerging structure of the market — specifically the communications sector — being a key enabler of the digital world yet facing serious threats to its core products and services. He offers detailed advice on where companies should position themselves, how they can exploit enterprise-based digital services and what core competencies they need to have to thrive.
The book continues, offering a practical ‘self-help’ guide to the transformation that existing players need to undertake in order to thrive. Learning to move more quickly, become highly innovative, deliver an outstanding customer experience, and manage sustainable ‘win-win’ partnerships are paramount to success, Willetts opines, with a critical need for in-depth software skills in the software dominated digital world. He describes how to deliver the essential highly integrated and automated operational systems and processes that can operate across the whole value chain. At the same time he advocates the need for visionary leadership and the evolution of a truly open digital economy that allows the open flow of digital goods and encourages regulators to refocus efforts away from their traditional role of constraint.
There is no doubt transformation to the digital world is happening fast. Willetts unzips the market with a ‘no holds barred’ picture of what today’s giants need to do to thrive and survive and presents a series of practical steps on how to exploit the massive opportunities the digital economy presents.
Unzipping the Digital World and is a must-read book for product managers, technologists, operations teams, market strategists, economists and futurists alike.
Praise for Unzipping the Digital World
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Newstalk – July 9, 2012
Alan Jordan of Bookbuzz and Ian Guider of Newstalk talking about “Unzipping the Digital World”
Light Reading – May 29, 2012
Back to the Future on Unbundling
Billing & OSS World – May 22, 2012
Unzipping the Digital World at Management World
Light Reading – MAY 22, 2012
Willetts Unzips Telecom Future
TelcoProfessionals – NOVEMBER 2011
Keith Willetts talks about why he is driven to write a new book on what the future of the telecoms industry is going to look like and how to take advantage of it.
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There are big opportunities in the digital world for those who get it right, but big challenges too. This book offers valuable insight into the new global economy and a practical guide from how to get to where you want to be.
– Liu Aili, EVP & Board Member, China Mobile Communications
Two thumbs up! The future for operators will come from exploiting new sources of revenue in the digital world which are so well set out and explored in this book.
– Paul Berriman, Chief Technology Officer, PCCW
The two words that stay in my mind after reading this are leadership and partnership which are at the heart of this practical guide to thriving in the digital world.
– Phil Dance, Former CIO, BT
This book sets the stage for the digital world nicely. It teaches a lot about the journey of various players and highlights essential partnership strategies. The intertwining of the key role of standards is brilliantly done — they have to be in the bloodstream for service providers to succeed by delivering value.
– Alpna Doshi, Chief Information Officer, Reliance Communications India
Unzipping the Digital World provides a real insight into the communications industry as it makes its way through the spider web of the ‘digital world.’ Many operators and suppliers are struggling to reinvent themselves and this book provides valuable insights into why this is such a hard transition along with the needs for standards in the industry.
– Michael Lawrey, Executive Director, Defence Engagement, Telstra Enterprise and Government
CxO level executives in the communications industry need to be thinking hard about the issues and solutions outlined in this book right now. If they do not, they will be left with nothing but infrastructure — and there won’t be room for many of them, because the secret of running a successful infrastructure business is scale.
– Dr. Hossein Eslambolchi, Chairman and CEO, 2020 Venture Partners
Super book…well done…a far-reaching, visionary approach to the networked society….
– Jon Collins, Vice President, Ericsson
