Rarely in the history of business has technology come to occupy the central place it does now. Fueled by a combination of next-gen technologies, including AI, Machine Learning, Big Data, IoT and Advanced Analytics, companies across verticals are waking up to the impact these are having on traditional business models.

This is because these technologies are no longer limiting their reach to just reframing an enterprise's core IT in isolation. They are providing responsive, digital tools to customers to be directly engaged in the entire value chain of producing a good or service—a prospect that was inconceivable a few years ago. Such developments are enabling companies to introduce new, intuitive and iterative modes to respond to their customers' requirements. This is paving the way for the emergence of lithe business models that come in-built with a capacity for flux.

These developments make it clear that digital disruption is changing the rules of what it means to do business. Whether it is the automobile industry that has been disrupted by ride sharing companies like Uber, or retail that witnessed Amazon flip every conventional idea of what it means to order from a grocery store.

How Businesses Can Stay Ahead

Although leaders across domains are aware of these transformations, not all are ready to accept the need to reorient their organizations to this new, digital world. I believe it is imperative for every leader committed to staying relevant, to give considered thought to how digitization is going to impact their sector and have a plan in place to leverage its several benefits.

At Mphasis, we pride ourselves on being a cutting-edge technology company that has had the privilege of partnering with Enterprise Fortune 2000 companies. But although we have led for over 25 years with a focus on an architecture-led approach, a legacy of innovation and thought leadership, we are aware of the need to chisel our outlook. We understand that we must adapt to current trends so that we can better empower our clients for the road that lies ahead.

It is for this reason that we have spent the last year in continuing our transformative journey. What has driven it is a central objective to help Mphasis enterprise clients effectively respond to the digital era’s three principal needs: for speed, innovation and hyper personalization. In this time, we have demonstrated our expertise in meeting the needs of next-gen customers by offering "applied tech", in chosen industry segments and micro-verticals. We have offered our clients agile business processes and innovative solutions that anticipate the future.

Our current brand refresh is an attempt to represent and reiterate this transformation. It is a symbol for what we think companies must do to stay ahead. Our new tagline—Next Applied and new logo signify that although we are the same domain-intensive, customer-focused organization, we are driven by a fundamentally agile, iterative approach that specializes in anticipating and applying the next technologies. We are passionate about fulfilling every client's customer's individualized requirements, and our distinctive Front2Back^TM transformation strategy ensures that customers are firmly at the heart of our business.

Further, our new Next Applied tagline underlines our commitment to delivering to our clients the benefits of next-gen technology, to help them stay ahead of the curve. The new logo with the "Z" factor in prominence, symbolizes our signature transformation strategy alongside our renewed focus on tomorrow's goal-driven generation Z. Together, these reiterate the changed face of the organization and our renewed stance as a 'digital company'.

At another level, what has also informed our brand refresh has been our belief that iconic companies often capture mind space for decades on end because of their catchy, unforgettable logos. Whether it is the signature symbol of an apple for all Apple products, the smiley arrow for Amazon or the three-pointed star for Mercedes-Benz, each symbolizes powerfully the essence of its brand. We hope our new logo and tagline reflect the digital first company we are—which is young, agile and yet always ready for what’s around the corner.

So, as we buckle down for work in the coming year, I look forward to continuing our close partnership with you, our cherished clients and investors. I hope our brand refresh will help you see the exciting transformation journey we are on, and I look forward to responding to any questions you may have about what this promises in the future.