The CEO of Insight Enterprises has a warning for American business leaders. The world, he says, is shifting from old “information technology” to cutting edge “intelligent technology” and if you don’t embrace the changes you will lose.
Ken Lamneck is talking about the importance of tech innovations like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things that are built into so many products.
There’s an urgency to Lamneck’s warning about the fast-pace growth of intelligent technology. “It’s the source of how companies innovate. It’s the source of how companies collaborate,” he says, “and very importantly, how companies differentiate themselves from their competition.”
Insight Enterprises (NSIT) stands to gain from this trend. It specializes in helping companies transition their I-T from a back office function to the core of their operations. The company has been a big proponent of the benefits of technology advances since it launched its business 30 years ago from a garage in Tempe, Arizona. It is now a Fortune 500 company with revenues of nearly $5.5 billion.
What is the downside risk for companies that wait? “They’ll be disintermediated,” Lamneck tells Fortune. “We’ve seen so many industries where companies missed the wave because they’re not embracing technology to really take them to that next frontier.”
The other risk, predicts Lamneck, is companies will have difficulty hiring those smart, innovative millennials that are in great demand. “They want modern workplaces. They want modern tool sets,” Lamneck explains. “They’re used to using very modern systems and modern applications. They want that same experience, same environment.”
Watch the video above for more of our interview with Lamneck.