Most Colombian companies engaged in digital transformation

Some 80% of Colombian companies have begun some sort of digital transformation process, according to a study released by consultancy firms Colombia Digital and Territorio Creativo, the ICT ministry said in a statement.

During a presentation of the study, ICT deputy minister María Isabel Mejía commented that public services have improved significantly due to the government's Vive Digital strategy, part of which aims to digitalize all public sector bodies.

"As a result, 82% of the general public and 79% of companies carried out paperwork in 2015 at public organisms using ICT. This is a clear example of technology improving services in the public sector."

According to the study, Colombian companies by and large recognize the important impact that cyber security, collaboration tools, mobility big data and analytics are having on their businesses. However, there is still a lack of awareness of other emerging technologies including cognitive computing, robotics, virtual reality, wearables and the internet of things (IoT), which are being used extensively in industries such as fashion, healthcare, energy and hotels.

For that reason efforts are being made to encourage development of studies in those areas in academia, in research centers and among SMEs and startups.

Citing the Tufts University's Digital Evolution Index, the study said that Colombia is among the top 10 countries that have most advanced towards a digital economy in recent years.

Chile and Colombia lead the region in terms of digital transformation, according to the gA Center for Digital Transformation.

In the case of Colombia, sectors leading the trend include healthcare, financial services and retail. Sectors that are in need of transformation include education and agriculture.

The study cited Tower Records and Blockbuster as two companies that did not survive the changes brought about by digital technology, while Walmart, Netflix, Lego, HBO and IBM did.