In the spring of 2022, the 1970s pop group Abba will take to the stage for the first time in nearly 40 years. The tunes will doubtless be catchy, the clothes will be as outlandish as ever, but in a true sign of the times their performance will be delivered by digital avatars. Our physical and digital worlds are blending in myriad different ways. This will only continue, and CSPs are strongly implicated in delivering it all.
The pandemic certainly put CSPs in the spotlight. With travel, entertainment and socializing all suddenly moved online, bandwidth became critical, and the industry had to up its game. Some immediate changes seemed superficial. Yet much of what happened was a hastening of existing trends. And now, as the lockdowns become less commonplace and the dust begins to settle, it’s clear that the CSPs are a reinvented star, just like Abba.
1. The industry becomes a VIP
2. Unpredictability rules
3. CSPs join governments
4. An ecosystem of data frenemies
5. CSP transformation is at tipping point
6. AI leads the way
7. Phygital goes mainstream