Atos looks beyond the Covid-19 crisis to help businesses prepare for the future

Paris, May 14, 2020 - Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, anticipates what the world will look like after the Covid-19 crisis in a report published by experts from the Atos Scientific Community, a global network made up of 160 of the top scientists, engineers and forward thinkers from across the Group, who have been active on the topic since the beginning of the crisis. Their predictions not only detail possible implications and opportunities for individual industries; they also explore the ‘transversal’ implications of technologies that have the potential to transform both businesses and societies.

A new normal with ample room for opportunity and change

The pandemic has brought some profound changes. We work differently, shop differently, and interact with friends and family differently. At the same time, it is already having deep economic repercussions for individuals, businesses and nations. Despite a growing consensus around a coming recession, the study by the Atos Scientific Community serves as a reminder that the future potential for businesses and societies can still be positively influenced.

"The current virus outbreak is likely to be the first of several waves. Therefore, despite the extraordinary monetary and fiscal measures announced, we do not expect the current decline to be followed by a quick and sustained recovery. We expect a "new normal”, not a "going back to normal”, but it is one with ample room for opportunity and change", explain the authors of the report, José Esteban-Lauzán and John Hall, members of the Atos Scientific Community, and Hubert Tardieu, Atos CEO advisor.

From immediate to transformational actions

The Covid-19 outbreak and the subsequent lockdown measures have paved the way for the acceleration of digital transformation as businesses shift operations to cope with office closures, restricted movement and supply interruption. Atos' experts warn that our collective response must not focus solely on immediate actions but on transformational ones as well. The report provides some hints on what this new ‘normal’ might look like.

The crisis has made apparent that digitalization or business continuity were not mature enough in many organizations. However, the perspective of a long-term economic paralysis will drive organizations to prioritize investments in long-term resilience over daily operational needs. Witnessing car or vacuum cleaner factories manufacture ventilators also highlighted the importance of adaptability and business continuity to determine a given organization’s path out of the crisis. In the digital era, these aspects derive from data-centricity, lighter processes and high levels of automation based on machine-learning and artificial intelligence, not just robotics. The push for greater adaptability will also accelerate Cloud efforts, toward a flexible hybrid Cloud.

Some tidal waves, like remote work, will not recede. Concerns and issues of security and safety will become more pressing than ever, with impacts on the supply chain, towards more built-by-design traceability, on sustainability, decarbonization and, of course, on cybersecurity. To conclude, the Covid-19 pandemic is our now, not our future. Businesses have the opportunity to forge the future, rethinking their purpose and strategy to focus on efficacy as much as efficiency.

To read the full ‘What the world will look like after the COVID-19 crisis’ report: https://atos.net/content/2020/atos-report-what-the-world-will-look-like-after-the-covid-19-crisis.pdf
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About Atos

Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 110,000 employees in 73 countries and annual revenue of € 12 billion. European number one in Cloud, Cybersecurity and High-Performance Computing, the Group provides end-to-end Orchestrated Hybrid Cloud, Big Data, Business Applications and Digital Workplace solutions. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and operates under the brands Atos, Atos|Syntel, and Unify. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index.

The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

Press contact:

Marion Delmas | marion.delmas@atos.net | +33 6 37 63 91 99 |

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