Interconnectivity has continued to increase in recent years and has today reached an unprecedented scale. Thanks to innovative technologies, individuals and businesses alike can interconnect ever more closely — anytime, anywhere. Hyperconnectivity is the term that attempts to capture the sense of this phenomenon and subsume it appropriately within the general topic of digitalization. In this interview, Vit Soupal, Detecon’s hyperconnectivity and transformation expert, explains what features define precisely this next stage of digitalization and how hyperconnectivity transformation can help companies to master its use.
What must we keep in mind when discussing hyperconnectivity?
Let’s start by clearly defining the terminology. When we talk about hyperconnectivity, we mean a hyperconnected world across the levels technology, society, and enterprises. It's more than just “better” connectivity.
Our definition of hyperconnectivity encompasses the unprecedented interconnection of people, devices, systems, and organizations that modern technologies and global networks have made possible. We can be constantly connected to others and the world around us across multiple devices and platforms — giving rise to new forms of collaboration, communication, business models, ecosystems, and added value.
The three major levels — technology, society, and business — mutually influence one another. Technology serves as the primary catalyst for the emergence of a hyperconnected world and new opportunities for determining the interactions and functions of a society. The meshing of technological advances with changes in society is in turn reflected at the enterprise level.
What position does hyperconnectivity occupy in the general discussions about digital transformation?
Hyperconnectivity can be understood as a higher level of digitalization. While digital transformation covers the integration of digital technologies into various aspects of an organization’s operations, processes, and strategies, hyperconnectivity represents the pinnacle of technological advancement and the connectivity that comes with it. In contrast to traditional digitalization, however, hyperconnectivity encourages a broader debate about the ways technology is transfiguring companies, societies, and individuals. This is also the scope that sets it apart from conventional concepts of connectivity, which focus first and foremost on the technological aspects of setting up network and communications infrastructures.
What technology trends characterize hyperconnectivity?
Hyperconnectivity encompasses several technological advances and trends that are shaping our interconnected world.
First, 5G networks play a critical role because they offer the higher speeds, lower latency, and greater capacity required for a wide range of interconnected devices and applications.
Another key component is the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Hyperconnectivity offers access to vast amounts of data, but drawing pertinent insights and enabling intelligent automation from these overwhelming volumes of information are impossible without AI algorithms.
As the number of connected devices and data continues to increase in a hyperconnected world, the challenge of processing and storing data becomes more acute. This is where edge computing comes in, characterized as it is by faster response times and lower latency because it processes and stores data closer to the source, features that improve the overall connectivity experience.
Quantum computer applications can also be used productively in conjunction with hyperconnectivity. By connecting quantum computers across geographic locations and sharing quantum information, researchers and organizations can collaborate more efficiently and improve their problem-solving capabilities.
Could you tell us a little more about the potential applications of hyperconnectivity?
A hyperconnected world will change the way businesses and society act. Tangible use cases that we already see in some of our projects, for example, involve smart energy management, smart cities, or precision agriculture.
In the field of smart energy management, hyperconnectivity enables the implementation of smart grids, real-time energy monitoring, and demand response systems, promoting sustainability, energy efficiency, and the integration of renewable energy sources. For smart cities, hyperconnectivity plays a critical role in integrating transportation, energy, and public services, increasing urban efficiency, improving quality of life, and promoting sustainable living. In precision agriculture, hyperconnectivity facilitates sensor-based monitoring, drone surveillance, and data-driven agricultural management systems. These features promote sustainable farming practices, optimized resource allocation, and food traceability. Yet this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Hyperconnectivity goes beyond these uses to find ever-broader application in areas such as smart manufacturing, connected logistics, smart health care, augmented reality shopping, etc.
What must companies keep in mind if they want to exploit the benefits of hyperconnectivity?
Hyperconnectivity is not something that can be easily introduced into an enterprise. Any company that wants to use hyperconnectivity must be ready and prepared to do so. Since hyperconnectivity represents the pinnacle of digital transformation, the organization must already have a certain level of digital maturity — and a high one at that — if it is to benefit from hyperconnectivity. Building on the foundation of this maturity, one can determine what needs to be done at what points to turn hyperconnectivity into reality.
Here at Detecon, we have developed our own Hyperconnectivity Readiness Framework (HCRF) specifically for this purpose. The HCRF is a comprehensive measurement tool and strategy framework designed to help organizations address the challenges associated with hyperconnectivity and reap the benefits of its implementation. The framework’s assessment of an organization’s readiness for the hyperconnected world provides a comprehensive road map for the development of a strategy that enables enterprises truly to embrace hyperconnectivity.
Hyperconnectivity Readiness Framework (HCRF)
Learn everything about the Detecon Hyperconnectivity Readiness Framework (HCRF).
This comprehensive and industry-agnostic model supports companies in driving new technologies, fostering innovations, enabling the design of new work methods, and setting new trends.
