Canadian Spy Agency CSIS Labels Blockchain a ‘Mega Trend’

CSIS expressed a view that, if approached correctly, blockchain could become the “plumbing” for all transaction-based systems. This would include government services, healthcare records, and real estate.

This presents a huge opportunity for blockchain, as it shows that government agencies want to engage with its underlying mechanisms. We’ve grown accustomed to companies having perspectives on the blockchain, but adding more government agencies into the mix is a strong signal.

CSIS expects technology-minded millennials to play a key part in the upcoming social, political and technological disruption in society. Further, the agency expects that millennials could be the conductors for the next industrial revolution and a major economic boom.

Source: Canadian Spy Agency CSIS Labels Blockchain a ‘Mega Trend’, Melanie Clay, January 15, 2018

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Enterprises Have Extremely High Hopes For Blockchain Technology

This is the key takeaway from a study of 3,000 executives, conducted by IBM’s Institute for Business Value, which looked at the enterprise potential of blockchain, a distributed global ledger or database that facilitates and tracks “smart contracts” between people, systems and organizations. Blockchain has no single owner or centralized hub, and it has potential to enable direct and secure management of engagements with customers and partners over the Internet, without the need for third parties or intermediaries.Overall, the survey finds, 33% of executives are already “actively engaged” or are “considering” using blockchain. A handful, 8%, are among those already working with the technology approach. Among members of the 33% using or considering blockchain, 100% expect it to support their enterprise strategy in some way. The vast majority, 78%, are investing in blockchain in hopes of responding to disruptions in their markets — financial shifts or developing new business model. Close to two-thirds see it as a way to increase the transparency of their transactions.

Source: Enterprises Have Extremely High Hopes For Blockchain Technology, Joe McKendrick, May 22, 2017

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IBM, Comcast Ventures Back Fund for Blockchain Business Startups – Bloomberg

“There’s a massive opportunity in Fortune 500 companies,” Bailey said. “They don’t know which companies to work with.”

Almost six in 10 large corporations are considering using blockchain, according to Juniper Research’s survey of 400 executives, managers and tech staff. The technology is being tested or implemented by companies ranging from Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to Visa Inc. to streamline supply chains, speed up payments and keep records.

Source: IBM, Comcast Ventures Back Fund for Blockchain Business Startups – Bloomberg, Olga Kharif, January 05, 2018

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Forging ahead with Blockchain in 2018: My Focus in 2018 for Blockchain Technology and Transforming Industries, Government and Our Lives | LinkedIn

The blockchain ecosystem, driven by new business models, promises of disintermediation, and interesting technological innovation, has behaved much like an adolescent by throwing tantrums, challenging the status quo, and defying all odds to make a point.

The permissioned network, which is the realm for regulated, conventional, and enterprise business networks, may also have to embark on a journey of uncovering the right incentive and economic model for enterprises and organizations to join a platform that leverages the notion of creation, distribution, and sharing of rewards benefitting all stakeholders. While not all conventional business and industries can blindly adopt the economic incentives of tokenomics (either due to product catalogues, legacy systems, or regulation, or simply the will of the participants), it is imperative that industries start the journey to explore the right business model that will not only enable value creation but also elevate the modernization efforts that many industries desperately need to combat disruptive forces.

Source: Forging ahead with Blockchain in 2018: My Focus in 2018 for Blockchain Technology and Transforming Industries, Government and Our Lives | LinkedIn, Nitin Gaur, December 31, 2017

Here’s my $0.02 USD or, as of this post’s date, 0.000001 Crypto Comment on the post:

I find the Divide a funny thing. Do you think Enterprise players would be so quick to adopt these technologies if it were not for the whacky ICOs and crypto market capitalizations? Congrats to both sides of the Divide; the decentralist trailblazers and players like IBM and other Linux Foundation members for recognizing they are on to something but need to focus on matters like those posted by Nitin for enterprises to start listening.

Happy Trails to both sides of the divide in 2018!

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What Successful Digital Transformations Have in Common | HBR

We found six important and statistically robust factors that predict the probability that an incumbent company will choose the path of being a reinventor. They are, in order of importance:

1. Obsess about turbulence on the horizon
2. Understand all risks, not only those from startups
3. Deliver a dual offensive: core and diversification
4. Fix leadership skills first
5. Prioritize demand-centered business play
6. Experiment with frontier technologies

Source: What Successful Digital Transformations Have in Common | HBR, Jacques Bughin & Tanguy Catlin, December 19, 2017

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The growing power of disruption and technology

“Our world is in transition from a model of business we are familiar with to one that is in many instances still undefined,” added Uschi Schreiber, EY’s global vice chair for markets and chair of the firm’s global accounts committee.

“The pace of change is unprecedented. Too many CEOs and boards are still focused on only one thing: short term efficiency and productivity improvements. But what’s needed is also a focus on the medium term and on building the future,” he said. “This requires not just the use of up-to-date technology; it also means investing in innovation and being prepared to take some risks. Thinking and operating in duality can help corporations to seize the upside of disruption by focusing on their current success and growth as well as building the foundations for growth in the future.”

Two-thirds of respondents to Deloitte’s poll for that report associate technology advances with new opportunities and positive outcomes, with “emerging technologies” integral to the playbooks of private companies.

Source: The growing power of disruption and technology, Sean Kilcarr, December 20, 2017

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Digital Transformation. Many can talk about the “why”. Few can talk about the “how”. Here’s “How” | LinkedIn

For companies to build value and provide compelling customer experiences at lower cost, they need to commit to a next-generation operating model. This operating model is a new way of running the organization that combines digital technologies and operations capabilities in an integrated, well-sequenced way to achieve step-change improvements in revenue, customer experience, and cost.

Source: Digital Transformation. Many can talk about the “why”. Few can talk about the “how”. Here’s “How” | LinkedIn, Hans Casteels, December 20, 2017

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CryptoKitties makes it easy to understand blockchain and genetics

CryptoKitties is a “cryptocollectable” game where people collect digital cats with specific traits, which can be used to breed other digital cats.Since no centralized organization created all the cats, and the system is recorded on a ledger to prevent fraud, its founders say it may be an easy way to understand blockchain technology.

Source: CryptoKitties makes it easy to understand blockchain and genetics, Michelle Castillo, December 18, 2017

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