While technology is disrupting the world , it will be those partners who deeply commit to understanding their customers and coming up with creative ways to address their unique needs that will gain leading competitive advantage says LAUREN WORTMANN at NTT DATA .

Lauren Wortmann describes her role as varied as she works in many different areas of the business . She is responsible for NTT DATA MEA ’ s Applications and Cloud portfolio . This involves day to day management , goto-market strategy , working closely with clients , marketing , sales and global service divisions . She spends time with her clients understanding their unique requirements and understanding where the solutions and services NTT DATA MEA offers can add value to their organisations .

What are your strengths and abilities that you bring to the above role ?

Lauren ’ s biggest strength is her ability to create connections in a human sense but also in terms of matching what is happening within the market , what her clients require and the capability that NTT DATA MEA have as a global IT service company . She is action orientated and drives outcomes .

Please describe the opportunities and challenges that exist for channel partners in your market ?

As a channel partner , three main challenges emerge . Firstly , balancing the needs of three divergent stakeholders – clients , NTT DATA stakeholders , and channel partners – sometimes with conflicting objectives . The opportunity lies in finding the intersection of these needs .

Secondly , as an IT services provider , attracting and retaining top technical talent in a competitive market remains a significant challenge and opportunity . Lastly , the technology landscape shift towards consumption-based cloud services requires channel partners to reconsider business models due to disappearing revenue streams .

Striking a balance between meeting client demands , fulfilling stakeholder expectations , and addressing the needs of the employees can be challenging .

This disruption forces a pivot in the IT services market , challenging providers to reassess how they deliver value to clients .

Which technologies and innovations can improve and drive , channel market dynamics in the near future ?

The clear and expected response would be Generative AI , and Lauren firmly believes it is a crucial technological advancement poised to revolutionise the landscape for channel providers . Mastering how GenAI enhances internal operations and service delivery will become essential in the near future .

The emergence of marketplace platforms from major players like AWS , Microsoft , and

Lauren Wortmann , Vice President of Cloud and Enterprise Applications , NTT DATA MEA

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