Newly appointed IFS CEO Darren Roos has said that the Middle East region has a huge opportunity to benefit from citizen-driven services, and that the world’s biggest technology vendors often fail to take their customers’ needs seriously.
Currently visiting customers across the globe before assuming his new post in April, Roos believes the firm has gone relatively unnoticed in its bid to satisfy its customer base, which currently exceeds 10,000 firms. “Today, IFS a well-kept secret,” he said. “We want to spread the word that there’s an alternative to mega-vendors, which will provide customers value.”
Roos believes that too many technology vendors ignore the basic wants of their customers, a failing that Swedish enterprise software firm IFS is determined to avoid. “A common failing in tech firms is the abundance of propeller heads who decide what customers need, without actually asking them,” he said. “Customers need to be ecstatic about your technology and actively engaged with. Our advantage is that our customers are engaged with our development teams, and that helps us stay in tune. The bigger picture is that customers want to derive value from their software faster, and implement it with lower risk.”
Roos added that many large tech companies look to make a quick buck instead of ensuring their solutions can provide real benefits to customers. “Some big enterprise software vendors have the mentality of selling the outcome, but leaving customers to do things themselves. It’s often disingenuous when vendors say they’re end-to-end solutions providers, because there are so many components, which are not integrated and seamless.”
He also highlighted the Middle East’s high demand for citizen-driven technology services, and the potential for the region to leapfrog technological development in other global markets. “The Middle East continues to be an interesting opportunity for companies, as they have the ability to learn from mistakes that other companies have made across the world. Citizens now have higher expectations in terms of technology services, and this represents a great opportunity for this regions’ governments.”
