“2021 will be the Year of Artificial Intelligence” – VAD Technologies GM

Mario M. Veljovic – GM VAD Technologies’ interview for ‘TECHx ICT Distribution Feature’

TECHx: What is the 2021 market outlook for VAD? As a distributor, what are your key strategic focus areas this year?

MV: 2020 showed everyone the need for Digital Transformation and that is not just a crazy idea. Information & Communication Technology (ICT) is the glue that helped to keep it all together during this pandemic and made it less painful. As VAD, we have been promoting everything related to ensuring Businesses’ Digital Transformation goals become reality and we have always been a pioneer and innovator in this area. Accordingly, we have been ahead of the market in scouting new disruptive products and solutions that will help businesses to reduce Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and achieve fast Return of Investment (ROI). We feel we are on the right Mission and maintain our Strategic Focus!

TECHx: What are the new digital transformation trends you foresee in 2021? How do you capitalize on the opportunities this changing market has created?

MV: In our Opinion, 2021 will be the Year of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Today’s modern AI Solutions are easy to deploy and simple to use. Return of Investment is fast, thanks to As-A-Services Delivery Models.

While VAD in the past years worked on its Cloudification Vision and ensured that Cloud will be the preferred method of delivering ICT Solutions to offer Customers maximum agility with cost-efficient flexibility, this year you will see VAD adding more AI Solutions. We promoted Smart Analytics and AI very strongly as part of our Physical Security Business Unit already, but since last year we started to find cool AI Technologies that offer real business benefits, such as EmailBots, DocumentBots, and others. We invite our Partners to follow our approach and stay open-minded to explore new disruptive Technologies that support their Customer’s Digital Transformation Journey.

TECHx: Simplification of technology adoption has always remained a key ask for organizations. How does VAD align with this need?

MV: That is right and exactly the approach we take while scouting new disruptive and innovative technologies. It is Questionable if complex Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Technologies are delivering the needed ROI and in many cases, Customer’ expectations have never been met.

We already have AI Technologies in our Portfolio that charge the Customer only for what the System (or BOT) has been doing and in this way the Solutions Providers actually co-invest in the Customer’s Automation Project. These are the compelling Selling Points that are needed to let AI Technologies see the expected Business Trajectory. At times we are getting so excited about these AI Technologies that we are investing into the companies themselves to support their growth and success.

Since it is inception, VAD Technologies worked with various Industry Organizations & Associations, such as the Global Technology Distribution Council (GTDC), ContextWorld and many others to proactively scout disruptive and innovative Technologies from major IT Research & Development Centers around the Globe.