Digital transformation. You probably hear this phrase all the time but what exactly does it mean? Is it just an empty industry buzzword?
Digital transformation has a specific definition. On today’s show, Anurag Agrawal, the founder and CEO of analyst firm Techaisle, explains the true meaning of digital transformation and how it shouldn’t be confused with digitization or digitalization.
Techaisle specializes in researching small and midsize businesses (SMBs) for the channel, so he has some great insights and numbers to share. But before that, Richard Tubb and Karl Palachuk take a look at what’s going on in the world through an MSP lens.
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What’s Going On
[02:02] Richard just attended CMA Live from the Content Marketing Academy.
[02:49] Most of the speakers were talking about video. There were some interesting statistics about how video and mobile video attract people.
[03:23] Brian Fanzo brought along a new pair of Snapchat Spectacles. These are cool-looking sunglasses with embedded video devices. You can record whatever you see.
[04:32] Most MSPs don’t do a lot of video. Could Spectacles be a cool new way for them to do so?
[04:45] They would be good for how-to videos. They could even be used when putting together a deal for a prospect package.
[05:37] They’re currently targeted to consumers but Richard says they will move into business eventually—these technologies alway do.
[06:56] Richard also spent time with Nigel Moore from the Tech Tribe.
[07:09] Nigel is using Bonjoro to send personalized welcome messages to MSPs who join his community.
[07:25] Why aren’t we using video more often when it’s so easy to use and garners such great results?
[08:16] Marriott is planning on using Alexa as a butler in every hotel room. It’s being sold as an opportunity for better service.
[08:47] Having Alexa on in your room at all times can be a privacy issue.
[09:16] Karl has heard from people that things they’ve talked about are showing up as as advertisements.
[10:06] Let’s do a listener experiment and see if this is really true. Email your results to Auvik.
[10:39] Say the words Karl gives you out loud but don’t put them into a browser or search window. The experiment is to see who’s listening.
[11:48] Richard has a theory that people seeing ads for things they’ve been talking about is simply RAS – our brain’s reticular activation system.
Interview with Anurag Agrawal – What’s the Deal With Digital Transformation

Anurag Agrawal, Techaisle
[17:55] Anurag Agrawal started out as a research analyst for IDC where he launched their quarterly tracker research program. Then he headed worldwide research at Gartner before leaving to form Techaisle, his own analyst firm, in 2008.
[18:23] In episode 12 of Frankly MSP, Josh Weiss mentions Techaisle as a great source for MSPs.
[19:18] Anurag defines digital transformation as the use and integration of digital business processes across the entire enterprise. Digitization is the conversion of manual paper records, data, or processes into a digital format. Digitalization is the business use of data generated through digitization.
[21:23] A surprising number of small and mid-sized businesses are focus on digital transformation. 82% of SMBs have initiated some form of digital transformation.
[22:31] 42% of these SMBs believe the internet and digital technologies impact every aspect of their business and must become a core part of organizational strategy. This opens up huge opportunities for MSPs.
[23:55] The drivers for digital transformation are operational efficiency, employee empowerment, customer intimacy, and innovation.
[24:27] Inhibitors include lack of skills, reluctance to change, and lack of capital investment budget. MSPs need to assess what’s driving their prospects and what’s inhibiting them to package and present digital transformation in a way that appeals.
[25:35] Digital transformation also demands that MSP channel partners develop extensive new capabilities.
[26:09] Techaisle has a free white paper on what MSPs need to do to position themselves for success delivering digital transformation. It covers seven key points are:
- Build, test, and evolve road maps that connect the technology investments with the benefits of digital transformation.
- Start working with SMB customers to develop expertise in positioning digital transformation effectively to both business and IT.
- Invest in the skills needed to deploy, connect, and optimize technologies that are important to the transformation roadmap.
- Invest in relationships with vendors that are at the forefront of digital transformation.
- Develop an end to end capability by combining access to key vendors with access to ecosystem partners who can provide complementary skills.
- Develop customer KPIs to measure the business outcomes and benefits.
- Develop an outcome-based revenue model.
[29:25] MSPs should understand where their customers are and where they are best positioned in digitization, digitalization, or digital transformation.
[30:45] It’s important for MSPs to develop their own strengths, so that they can have a meaningful impact for their customers.
[31:25] There wasn’t a lot of traction in the MSP market around digital transformation but it has really accelerated in 2018. 2018 may be a tipping point.
[33:52] Outcome-based revenue is a long-term objective contingent on developing and testing KPIs.
Links from this episode
What’s Going On
- CMA Live
- Snapchat Spectacles
- Nigel Moore
- Bonjoro
- Amazon-Marriott Deal Will Make Alexa A Hotel Butler, But The Implications Range Far Wider
The hosts
- Karl Palachuk: Small Biz Thoughts
- Karl Palachuk (Twitter)
- Richard Tubb: Tubblog
- Richard Tubb (Twitter)
Interview
- The Journey From Technician to Business Advisor – FMSP 012
- Techaisle
- The Twin Ladder Approach to Delivering Digital Transformation for SMB and Midmarket Firms
- Digital Transformation & the Future of the Reseller Channel (white paper)
- Anurag Agrawal (LinkedIn)
- Anurag Agrawal (Twitter)
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Although I didn’t join in with Karl and Richard’s experiment per-se I had two “coincidences” this weekend. I run an Samsung S9 with Facebook, OK Google and Alexa apps on it.
Saturday, at my inlaws house that has an echo dot on their account, it was chucking it down with rain and the gutters were overflowing so I went outside to clear them out. As I came inside, my mother in law said “Thanks for cleaning out the gutters”. Less than 10 minutes later I am on my phone reading a webpage and the first ad was for gutter covers. I had not searched or typed anything about gutters into my phone.
The second occurrence this weekend, last night we were talking about zip drives and how 100mb used to be so much storage. This morning as I used facebook, the second post was an ad for amazon recommending things to me. The first thing was a zip drive.
That was the final straw – there is no way that is a coincidence.
Interestingly the first was “just an ad” on a mobile web page but the seconds was an actual recommendation from Amazon on Facebook so I’m really wondering whether it is amazon or Facebook that is listening in.
Needless to say I went into settings, searched for app permissions and then went through to disable the microphone options for various apps, in particular facebook. I don’t think I ever use the mic with this app. Alexa and Google I kept on as we do use these devices to automate the house pretty extensively but I am much more concerned now about how much they listen and how they use that access. It’s obviously way, way more than just listening for the trigger words.
Wow, those examples are real eye-openers! Guess we should all take a second look at our privacy settings now. Thanks for sharing, Andy.
As the original commenter, Had another weird one today for my wife. Shes sitting at home with the tv on and there was an ad for Cool Sculpting . A couple of minutes later she’s using Instagram and starts to get ads for the same thing showing up. She’s never used or looked up this healthcare procedure before.
Something is obviously listening – not sure if it’s the phone, Alexa or Google Home that is obviously listening and tying everything together.