ICC Says Tech SMAC-down Transforms Business and IT in 2014

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Social, mobile, analytics and cloud (SMAC) are poised to transform the way businesses across all industries approach marketing and IT in 2014. These four technology trends will reach a tipping point next year and the businesses that embrace them will benefit greatly. Those that don't will be forced to play catch-up with early adopters ... if they can. According to business and IT solutions company ICC, SMAC represents the main drivers of innovation today, transforming the way companies operate, collaborate and integrate. And, while SMAC will influence many business processes, it is a company's customer-facing interaction that will be affected first.

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"The year 2014 will be about the customer experience. Companies must transform the way they respond and react to customer demand, sentiment and desire," says ICC CEO Steven Glaser. "Those companies that can accomplish this will be better positioned to grab market share from those that do not."

Social and mobile in particular are transforming the way marketers reach existing and future clients. For their part, clients and prospects – both B2B and B2C – spoiled by the fast-moving and endlessly innovative technology companies that make up the SMAC landscape, now expect all their customer experiences to be holistic, seamless, integrated and satisfying across the board.

To profit from this sea-change, companies will have to transform the way marketing and IT work together. Putting SMAC to work requires a combination of marketing automation and analytics solutions as well as a solid master data management approach. This requires a stronger partnership between IT and marketing in order to provide customers with the holistic experiences they've come to expect and increasingly demand.

"If marketing, or other business functions, cannot get the information they need from their IT partner, then they can either create a shadow IT organization that will figure out how to do this or they could bring in an external party to build a hosted solution," says Jim Gallo, ICC's Vice President of Business Analytics.

In addition, 2014 will prove to be a pivotal year not only for marketing but all manner of relationship inside and outside of the C-suite. Every industry and every function is now being impacted by SMAC. Industries that embrace this trend, which started a mere six years ago with the introduction of the iPhone, will stand to profit from greater customer loyalty and wallet-share. And businesses will benefit from more accurate reporting and an enhanced ability to apply predictive and prescriptive analytics to their businesses as they move into the realm of big data.

"In order to drive performance with a more holistic view of the company, executives need more than single metrics," says Gallo. "They need data from all over the organization, including finance, customer service, marketing and product development. When leaders have a more complete and comprehensive view of their operations, they can make better use of data in planning and decision making. By partnering with IT, line-of-business executives can assure that all of a company's data is brought together in harmony so it enhances operations instead of hindering them."

Want to learn more about the power of marketing and technology? ICC has developed a series of complimentary white papers for download at http://bit.ly/18UmPKM.

About ICC

ICC (Information Control Company), based in Columbus, Ohio, is a leading provider of enterprise technology solutions. With a staff over 500 highly trained consultants, we are experts in Strategy, User Experience, Visual Design, Engineering, Project Management, Business Analytics and Quality Assurance. Using these skills, we develop and deploy innovative, business-critical solutions that enable Fortune 500 and mid-market organizations to improve operational efficiencies. Our Business, Digital and Technology solutions give our clients a competitive advantage that helps them drive revenues and increase margin.

Clutch Interactive is a world-class digital ad agency inside the walls of ICC. Together, they're a collection of seasoned strategists, user experience specialists, writers, art directors and developers who specialize in the art and science of Interactive Conversations. 

ICC is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and an IBM Premier Business Partner. Clients include Nationwide, Cardinal Health, McGraw Hill, the State of Ohio, and Honda. ICC is committed to serving its clients, community and country by developing U.S.-based leaders who work hard to strengthen the American economy. More information is available at http://www.icctechnology.com.

Media Contacts:
Theresa Hodgson
ICC
[email protected]
614-523-3070 x106
http://www.icctechnology.com/

Rich Mullikin
Communication Strategy Group for ICC
[email protected]
866-997-2424
www.communicationstrategygroup.com

SOURCE ICC (Information Control Company)