October 28, 2020
By Microsoft Canada
Accelerated digital transformation in response to pandemic has strengthened business resiliency
Toronto, ON, October 28, 2020 – The majority of Canadian business leaders (69 per cent) are confident that their business will survive the pandemic into 2021 and just over half (54 per cent) feel confident their company will be able to adapt to whatever the upcoming year might hold. Similarly, half (51 per cent) are confident their business could survive the second wave or spike in coronavirus infections. These are some of the key findings from a new survey released today by Microsoft Canada that explores confidence levels among Canadian businesses months into the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact technology has had on their operations and workforce.
Microsoft surveyed 670 business decision-makers across a spectrum of types and sizes of Canadian businesses, ranging from micro (fewer than 10 employees) to large enterprises (500+ employees). While many say they have taken a hit from the pandemic and have had to change the way they operate, most (56 per cent) say the pandemic has provided the catalyst their company needed to adopt new technology and new ways of working.
“Digital resilience is paramount and never more so than when dealing with the impact of major disruptions like the pandemic. Organizations are relying on technology to adapt and thrive – from emergency response, to recovery, to reimagining the way we work and live,” said Kevin Peesker, President of Microsoft Canada. “The pace of digital transformation has accelerated all over the world, and it is clear, those organizations that are using data, AI and the cloud are better equipped and more likely to not just survive, but to thrive.”
A CATALYST FOR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Whether it has been a shift to remote work leveraging collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams to maintain a connected workforce, or digitizing key business operation using Dynamics 365 and Power Platforms, there is a strong perception among Canadian business leaders that having to adopt new technology and new ways of working has been a direct result of the COVID-19 experience.