Press Releases

• New ‘Vodafone Business’ brand is based on the results of a recent survey conducted by the Vodafone Group into the business trends for the next 12 months

• Global Trends Barometer 2019 presents four priorities for businesses in 2019: trust, ethics, artificial intelligence and customer focus

Vodafone has presented a new global identity for the corporate segment: Vodafone Business. This is the first time in the history of the Vodafone Group that a brand has been created exclusively for corporate customers.

The creation of this new identity reflects the results of the Global Trends Barometer 2019, a Vodafone Group survey which identifies four key priorities for businesses in the next 12 months: trust, ethics, artificial intelligence and customer focus.

The survey, which reflect the opinions of entrepreneurs, market analysts, consultants and futurologists, explains how the identified priorities can benefit businesses by meeting business customers’ new requirements and challenges.

According to Paula Carioca, Vodafone’s director for the corporate segment: “Focusing on the customer and the need to put people at the centre of the business is one of the trends with which we have most identified and which we have included in the concept of the new brand, Vodafone Business. We want to be the partner of choice for Portuguese companies, driving their Digital Transformation process through the provision of next-generation solutions and an increasingly personalised service”.

The Global Trends Barometer 2019 identified the issues, challenges and priority opportunities which companies will encounter during the course of the coming year:

In a digital world, trust is everything

Trust is increasingly valued in the current scenario of uncertainty which reigns in the digital world. Customers are more aware of the value of their personal data and expect companies to be able to respond to the challenges they face.

• 70% of respondents feel threatened by cyber risks;
• 63% of respondents admitted to having stopped using digital services because of security issues;
• 55% of entrepreneurs interviewed by the survey regard maintaining customers’ trust as a matter of concern.

Ethics as the basis of businesses’ success

Increasing competitiveness means that companies are looking for new ways of differentiating themselves. Acting ethically and with respect for society is crucial to establishing relationships of trust between companies and their employees, customers, suppliers and partners.

• 93% of entrepreneurs feel pressure from their customers to act ethically;
• 92% of companies have this expectation about their suppliers;
• 83% of respondents believe that acting ethically results in generating more revenue for companies.

Balance in the relationship between people and machines

The job market is constantly changing and leaders believe in creating a thriving business environment which achieves a balance between people and machines.

• 86% of respondents say that artificial intelligence will generate new jobs;
• 83% of respondents think that jobs will be more productive;
• 85% of the sample agree that humans will need to work with artificial intelligence systems.

These changes also cause some insecurity, with 54% of survey respondents feeling insecure about this future and saying that the use of artificial intelligence could lead to discrimination. It is therefore important that business leaders understand the role of artificial intelligence and its future impact on human resources.

People as the central element of business

In a volatile market dominated by technology, being focused on customer needs is a priority. At the same time, the role of employees is vital to the transformation and growth of businesses.

• 93% of business leaders think that customers have ever-greater expectations;
• 85% of the sample agreed that customer requirements are changing rapidly;
• 95% of respondents agree that it is very important to help employees become more productive;
• 69% of respondents consider that digital skills will be the most relevant in the next 3-5 years.

The full report can be read here.