• ‘Cloud services’ (35%) and ‘artificial intelligence’ (35%) are the joint highest-ranking technology resources that British employees would most like to see in their daily working life
• ‘Augmented reality’ is the technology least desired by workers – with only 17% wanting toharness its capabilities in their job each day
• 55% of employees think having the latest technology in the workplace will enable them to improve their productivity
• 34% of workers would consider a robot with the right business intelligence, to be better at decision making than their boss/bosses or senior management
• 52% of UK businesses have made ‘technology’ a spending priority in 2019

Technology has reshaped the way in which organisations run their business. Different technology has enabled organisations to streamline and improve various aspects of their operations and functions.
Employees have also benefited massively, as they have been able to use technology to make processes within their job role easier and less time-consuming.
Interested in modern work practices, training and qualification provider TheKnowledgeAcademy.com analysed the latest findings from business software and services firm ‘Advanced’, who surveyed over 1,000 UK employees in professional occupations to discover the technology they would most like to see in their daily working life.
The Knowledge Academy found that ‘cloud services’ (35%), whereby users can remotely access software and applications stored on secure servers and networks managed by an external cloud computing host, as one of the two technology resources British employees would most like to use in their everyday working routine.
The other technology highly desired by UK professionals is ‘artificial intelligence (AI)’ at 35%. Perhaps unsurprising, as AI driven programmes have the capabilities to sift through huge amounts of information and data to harvest valuable insights in a much quicker and accurate manner compared to human efforts.
Interestingly, 31% are keen to utilise predictive analytics techniques such as data mining and machine learning, to analyse historical information/data to predict what might happen in the future. For instance, individuals could apply the relevant principles and methods from predictive analytics to assess the varying impact each potential final Brexit deal could have on their organisations long-term success and sustainability.
Contrastingly, ‘augmented reality (AR)’ ranked as the least appealing technology - with only 17% of employees wanting to harness it in their job each day. Slightly above, 18% are happy for ‘robots’ (i.e. Information for immediate release TheKnowledgeAcademy.com configured software) to automate the tasks and responsibilities they believe are mundane (known as ‘robotic process automation’).
Furthermore, the Knowledge Academy wanted to understand the actual influence workplace technology had on UK employee’s performance and satisfaction. To achieve this, the Knowledge Academy analysed findings from business-to- business (B2B) digital services provider ‘Econocom’.
The biggest performance-related gain British workers think they will accomplish from having the latest technology (relevant to their organisations needs) is improved productivity (55%). Closely followed by greater flexibility (54%) and then, more mobility (32%).
With regards to job satisfaction, an organisation which actively invests in new and worthwhile technology will significantly contribute towards making their human resource feel better valued (43%). Thereafter, it would increase the motivation for employees to work harder (38%).
From the report by ‘Advanced’, the Knowledge Academy also illustrated some of the most notable opinions UK businesses and employees have on technology in the working environment.
It is revealed that 65% of workers are willing to work alongside robotic technology, if it led to the reduction of manual processes. Additionally, 34% of British employees would consider a robot with the right business intelligence, to be betterdecision making than their respective boss/bosses or senior management.
Looking forward, 52% of UK businesses have commendably made ‘technology’ a spending priority in 2019.
Joseph Scott, a spokesperson from the TheKnowledgeAcademy.com commented:
“Technology has become an integral part of the working world. It has allowed individuals to become more efficient in the way they conduct their professional tasks and responsibilities. As various technology develops, it will undoubtedly capture the attention of employees seeking to utilise the tools that will allow them to become more proficient at their job. This research certainly highlights the current technology which is creating the biggest impression on British employees to regularly assist them in their working life”. For more information visit www.theknowledgeacademy.com .

The banking industry is beginning to incorporate the traits and practices that were once the domain of fintech startups. Banks and credit unions have become more comfortable with a faster pace of innovation, using data and analytics more extensively and digitising processes as opposed to simply turning paper into PDFs..

The reinvention of in-store retail is underway. To stay competitive on the cut-throat high street, there’s no room for complacency. Proactively embracing tech to exceed customer and employee expectations is no longer just a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have..

Both companies are now notably larger than Apple, which had held the position for years..

IBM has formed an agreement with Samsung. Samsung is a member of the OpenPOWER Foundation, a vendor ecosystem facilitating the development of IBM Power architecture-based customized servers, networking and storage for future data centers and cloud computing, as well as a member of the Q Network to help advance the understanding of applications software in quantum computing for the industry..

FTSE 100 energy provider SSE has appointed EY as its external auditor, subject to approval by shareholders, ending a 20-year relationship with KPMG.

UK entertainment retailer HMV has appointed joint administrators from KPMG to oversee the sale or closure of its business. HMV’s second administration in the last six years comes after disappointing Christmas trading results and a wider market fall in British retail made it succumb to a “tsunami of challenges” facing the UK high street in 2019..

In a global first for the network, PwC UK has undertaken a stock count audit using a drone, as part of a wider drive to harness emerging technologies to enhance audit quality and efficiency and transform the audit process.

It’s no surprise that when businesses experience data breaches, they are subject to severe penalties. Keeping information available, confidential and integral is the everlasting guiding principle to good cybersecurity. The core principles remain the same, but the threat landscape is constantly changing and deserves continual monitoring..

Ajay Bhalla is in the business of predicting the future. His mission for the last four years has been almost inconceivable: to guarantee the security of over 70 billion transactions processed every day..

With the vast opportunity offered by Industry 4.0, a Deloitte global survey explored how companies plan to invest in digital transformation, revealing several disconnects between strategy and actions..

One of the Big Four accounting firms, KPMG, has declared that Bitcoin will become the future for standard crypto transactions. They are of the opinion that the world is experiencing an entirely new financial revolution and Bitcoins are leading the way..

Digital and technology advice, business transformation and strategy are the key priorities UK business leaders say they will need most help from consultants on in the future according to a new survey conducted by the MCA, the Management Consultancies Association.

50 million users is a magic threshold for adoption. It took the telephone 75 years. Television reached this mark in 13 years. Twitter took nine months. And Pokémon Go did it in just 35 days.

Welcome to our podcast series covering Brexit-related events and issues affecting business and the economy. Throughout the Brexit process, our subject matter experts will be sharing their perspectives on the key challenges ahead, helping you to better understand how the UK leaving the EU will affect you and your business..

It’s easy to assume newer is better, but technology that has been around for decades or longer still has a place in cybersecurity. In some cases, it is difficult to hack and therefore less vulnerable. In others, it just continues to be the best option for a very specific purpose..

Personalised therapies, improved patient experience, smart working environments for doctors and an increased use of artificial intelligence are trends that will transform healthcare over coming years..

As artificial intelligence gains ground, countries are setting national strategies to promote the technology’s adoption. Local governments may not have those same resources, but they can make AI more accessible..

Minds have been increasingly focused on the European Union 2021 CO2 emissions targets. According to our latest analysis, some car makers have got their strategy right and will meet their targets easily, but others have woken up too late and will struggle. While many of these late risers have plans for new low emission models, it will be hard for them to implement their plans fast enough to make a real difference..

Leading law firm Lewis Silkin LLP has advised We Are Friday, a leading digital service design and engineering agency, on its acquisition by PA Consulting..

Ken Toombs will join PA Consulting, the global innovation and transformation consultancy that’s bringing ingenuity to life, as leader of the Americas.

The global telecoms industry remains the TMT sector’s biggest buyer of consulting services, increasing 8.5% to generate US$5.4bn for consultants in 2017.

Despite advances in digital technology Amazon is investing in high street brick and mortar stores. This sounds positive for the future of the high street.

Cryptocurrencies have had a rough year. Bitcoin has crashed more than 75 percent since its peak, and its competitors are faring no better. Even if the bubble has burst on non-fiat currency, the technology underlying those coins, the blockchain—which offers a way to record and validate transactions without a central authority, such as a bank or government—still excites many speculators outside finance..

IBM Research has teamed up with United States-based agriculture tech firm Hello Tractor to boost the African agriculture industry with blockchain. Specifically, IBM Research scientists will incorporate blockchain and the Internet of Things technologies to Hello Tractor’s tool platform.

Asia`s biggest Telecom, Media and Technology event ConnecTechAsia has inked a partnership deal with KPMG to boost its knowledge base and provide key insights to the ever-changing face of TMT for all its attendees..

Cognizant today announced it is acquiring Mustache, a privately-held creative content agency based in Brooklyn, NY, known for its innovative approach to planning, producing and distributing compelling video content and programming.

PA Consulting has acquired We Are Friday, a specialist digital service design and engineering agency. We Are Friday will join PA’s world-class innovation team, enhancing their existing expertise in digital service design, modern engineering and digital transformation..

The partnership between Wipro Digital, a part of Wipro, Alfresco is aimed to create, build and run open source-based digital transformation programmes for its clients across the globe.

We recently partnered with UK Finance to deliver a webinar on why collaboration in the financial services industry is critical to addressing financial crime.PA expert, Sam Haskins summarises his key messages from the session..

Every year, we evaluate the attractiveness of each consulting market in response to a simple question: Looking at the next 12 months only, where should you invest?, writes Julie Ahadi of Source Global Research...

In Toronto, Alphabet, Google’s parent company, hopes to create the sensor-filled metropolis of tomorrow..

The perfect storm of muted demand and cost pressures we first saw in 2017 has intensified....

Digital transformation is the top priority for Australian business leaders although many are still struggling with strategy and confusion remains over what exactly it entails, according to new research from KPMG..

At the Gartner IT Infrastructure, Operation and Cloud Strategies Conference in Las Vegas on on December 4th, Gartner analysts highlighted the top 10 key technologies and trends for which IT infrastructure and operations decision-makers must prepare in order to fully support new-gen digital infrastructure in 2019..

The potential for technology is not new in education, many of the big technology providers have developed educational products. However, to date they have chosen two traditional channels either to publish content or monitor pupil progress online. Chatta has created a new method of teaching online. This has meant there is no existing market, Chatta have had to rely on early adopters and innovators to take a risk and help them secure market traction..

The MCA, the Management Consultancies Association, is pleased to announce it has received a record number of entries for the 2019 MCA Awards.

41 companies from across the breadth of the UK consulting sector have entered the competition this year, for both the individual and project awards.

According to a new study from the consulting firm KPMG, if shopping trips in personal vehicles decline even by half, one million autonomous delivery robots will need to take to the streets to fill the gap. For context, the firm estimates there are 300,000 taxis currently on US streets, and about 1 million buses..

There are many different ways of benchmarking the success or failures of a digital workplace. However, it is less obvious what makes a successful digital workplace and how it functions. Technology is now such a central part of the overall work experience that you can’t separate it from the people agenda.

Microsoft and Docker today announced a new joint open-source project, the Cloud Native Application Bundle (CNAB), that aims to make the lifecycle management of cloud-native applications easier..

FiveAI is a UK technology start-up bringing together the best minds in AI, engineering and mobility to deliver a fully autonomous shared transport service for Europe’s cities. Operating out of six UK locations, the company already has prototype cars out and about in the UK, and is planning its first full service trial for commuters in London by early 2020. PwC`s Private Business Leader for the West region, Colin Bates, spoke to FiveAI co-founder and CEO Stan Boland about the opportunities and challenges of being a world leader in transport innovation..

Look for new technologies to emerge - and for emerging technologies to become the norm - in the new year..

Consulting firms are in a dilemma about how to organise their data & analytics capabilities most effectively: Should they have a stand-alone business unit, or should this expertise be embedded right across the organisation?..., writes Fiona Czerniawska of Source Global Research.

• 54% of women believe there are now more women working in tech than five years ago.
• 63% of women cite ‘being taken seriously’ as the number one challenge in the tech industry.
• 67% of women believe ‘making a positive impact’ is the best thing about being a woman in tech.

Today, on behalf of its founding partners, Qlik® is pleased to welcome Accenture to the Data Literacy Project. Accenture joins as a founding partner, committing to the Project’s mission to build a data literate culture across the world.

• CFOs are poised to transform finance organizations through AI and RPA.
• Two-thirds of respondents in a recent Accenture survey said transforming finance operations through digitally-based systems is a priority.
• AI and RPA can automate more than 80 percent of most finance functions, freeing finance professionals to concentrate on higher-value activities.

Following growth of 7% to US$62bn in 2017, a new report today estimates that growth in the global risk services market will accelerate to more than 10% in 2019, with the value of the market passing US$80bn by 2020. This will be an uplift of almost US$30bn (over 50% growth) in just five years.

After experiencing healthy growth of 4.9% to reach a value of US$3.91bn in 2017, Canada’s consulting market has made the ranking of the top 10 most attractive consulting markets in the world.

Microsoft has overtaken Apple in market cap value for the first time in eight years. Microsoft briefly reached a market cap value of $812.93 billion today, followed by Apple at a market cap of $812.60 billion. It made Microsoft the world’s most valuable company, even if it was only a temporary title. Microsoft and Apple are now trading back and forth for the title..

Infosys, India’s second-largest IT services company, has been one of the biggest recruiter of IT professionals in the country amid the big tech players such as Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL Technologies and Tech Mahindra. To what it seems like a good news for Infosys employees, the Bengaluru-headquartered IT behemoth is planning to upskill its employees in an aim to reduce attrition rate and double their salaries..