McKinsey suggests that the time is ripe for an industrial revolution, and details a Deutsche Telekom case study -- "The costly build-to-order approach of typical IT infrastructures may soon be a thing of the past, thanks to advances in technology and to new management practices. Leading companies are moving toward a less complex model characterized by standard and reusable products, transparent pricing, and better use of IT resources. Companies can make their information technology systems up to 30 percent more productive by adopting a standardized model. To undertake this shift, CIOs must rethink the organization, architecture, and procurement processes of their IT organizations."
The global smartphone market closed 2025 with a story less about recovery and more about transformation. Premium product, ecosystem lock-in, and manufacturing scale are now the forces shaping competition. For business and technology leaders, the latest IDC market study data confirms that smartphones remain a critical indicator of consumer demand, supply chain health, and AI commercialization at the edge. Smartphone Market Development Global smartphone shipments grew 2.3 percent year-over-year in Q4 2025, reaching 336.3 million units and bringing full-year volumes to 1.26 billion units — a modest 1.9 percent annual increase, according to IDC. This smartphone growth emerged despite a memory shortage crisis, tariff volatility, supply chain disruption, and macroeconomic headwinds. What stabilized demand? Two factors: sustained growth in premium devices and strong foldable momentum, combined with accelerated purchases as consumers bought ahead of anticipated price increases. Buyers weren...