Digital Transformation in the Era of Big Data and Cloud Computing

Digital transformation is the application of innovative digital technology to fundamentally change the model of how business operates, and the way technology is delivered to support the overall business. The evolution of digital transformation has taken place in different stages, from automation to radical shifts of business models via disruptive technologies of modern times. The emergence of Big Data and cloud computing has fundamentally changed the paradigm of computing in data transformation and delivery. Mountains of data of huge volume, velocity, and variety are converted into actionable intelligence that can be delivered in real-time on demand, anywhere and anytime around the globe. This paper examines the technology drivers for digital transformation that include Big Data, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence under an integrated cloud platform that provides ubiquitous on-demand services to modern enterprises driven by knowledge and relationship. Data from different sources are transformed into actionable intelligence via traditional and Big Data analytic platforms. It is distributed via an everything-as-a-service model to a community that consists of organizations, people, things and systems, anywhere and anytime around the globe. Analysis of business cases points to the importance of investing in digital transformation as illustrated by the success and failure of companies coping with the recent coronavirus pandemic. This paper provides an architecture that serves as a roadmap for the digital transformation of modern-day business enterprises.