Innovations help separate outperformers from laggards

As the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates digital transformation, businesses need to embrace technologies including artificial intelligence to match consumer expectations, increase core efficiencies and differentiate themselves, said Alain Benichou, CEO of IBM Greater China Group.

The senior executive said the pandemic has created a new business environment, which has triggered a rethink of the way people live and the way companies do business. At the core of this is digital transformation.

"During the pandemic, the pace accelerated as companies packed many years of digital transformation into a much shorter time frame," Benichou said.