Towards a Computational Framework to Streamline the Global Digital Transformation Process in the Post-COVID Era
Abstract
In this paper, we first introduce and define “Digital Divide 2.0”, and show that, unlike the “traditional” Digital Divide, this is about the survival of countries and their ability to cope with a global environment that is more and more instable and uncertain! We build an argumenta supporting our assumption and, from there, we present the foundations of a computational framework to guide and streamline the Digital Transformation Process.
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Introduction
A notable fact that popped-up with the COVID Pandemic, all around the world, is the predominance of Technology tools and digital environments to cope with the situation and minimize the impacts following the restriction on F2F activities/meetings. A kind of “virtual/digital” life emerged where individuals work, shop, do business, meet, etc. remotely.
All countries suffered serious impacts following this pandemic, at all levels (social, business, psychological, etc.). Countries with weaker ICT penetration (infrastructure, platforms, e-Services, etc.) were indeed more impacted since they could not take benefit of the new emerging virtual/digital life, which means no school, no commerce, no services, etc. This situation strangely recalls the concept of digital divide [7] raised by the Scientific Community in the field of ICT4D [3] to point out the gap between 2 Worlds: The world of Countries that are using technology (especially ICTs) to streamline their development at all levels, and the others that are lagging behind.
More importantly, the longer the pandemic lasts the complex/difficult the situation gets, and the higher the chances advanced (technology wise!) countries will shift to a “new-normal”, leaving behind the rest of the world that will “really” struggle, and leading to an explicit manifestation of Digital Divide 2.0, which is the Covid19 release of the Digital Divide! “Fighting” against Digital Divide 2.0 requires for a Country to be advanced in the Digital Transformation Process, which globally means the ability of Citizens to dispose of / and be familiar with the effective usage of Technology Tools, at a daily basis, in the New-Normal Configuration of life.
Today more than even, World Leaders are aware of the importance of ICTs, not only from a theoretical perspective but, more importantly, from a real need on the ground, following concrete and palpable distress of the population, in all sectors, and on a daily base. Has this been possible, many of these Leaders would have not hesitated to acquire Plug-&-Play Solutions and Systems to immediately deploy and “fix” the situation! So what an extraordinary opportunity, for Academics and Researchers, to seize and try to elaborate a roadmap for the Digital Transformation Process, mainly for Developing and Less Developed Countries (DLDC) which, in the majority, have not yet launched this Process!
Conclusion
This paper reflects and describes the progress of our thoughts in relation to the role of ICTs in helping people in coping with the new-normal way of life imposed by COVID-19. We believe this is urgent more than ever in the past to launch the process of digital transformation in all countries that have not started it yet to avoid further damages and distresses to their populations. Clearly, without a solid digital “Capital”, no country will be able to face the “hazards” of the future.
Our main contribution in this paper is to announce the idea of a Computational framework to justify and streamline the Digital Transformation Process in Developing and Developed Countries. Indeed we still need serious work to formalize the structure and all the constituting elements of this framework, both at the conceptual and computational levels, but the first brick is there, and others will quickly follow as we progress in our Research