Kyndryl (NYSE: KD), the world’s largest IT infrastructure services provider, recently celebrated its second anniversary as an independent, publicly traded company. Marking this milestone, the company reaffirmed its commitment to supporting our customers' organizations and business partners in Luxembourg as they strive to modernize, transform and scale while building a sustainable and competitive business.

In today's dynamic and rapidly evolving technology landscape, organizations are actively pursuing innovative avenues for growth, gaining a strategic edge and enhancing scalability. Adapting to shifting market demands and technological advancements has become a fundamental requirement for survival, sustained success and thriving in the highly competitive business environment.

Today, Kyndryl supports thousands of customers across the world, including Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), offering services and consultancy to facilitate the modernization and transformation of diverse industries, contributing to overall economic growth and diversification.

Customer Zero

As customer zero, Kyndryl began its transformation journey in 2021, when it became an independent company with approximately 90,000 employees in 60 countries. In less than two years, the company transitioned away from more than 1800 inherited applications spanning over 50 data centers to a few hundred hosted entirely in a cloud infrastructure. It also consolidated more than 100 financial systems into a single platform,  achieving a transformation a company of that size can typically conclude within five to 10 years. As a result, Kyndryl expects to reduce operational expenses by more than $200M and as much as $300M annually through productivity and efficiency.

Forecasting Innovation

As technology evolves and complex business problems continue to emerge, IT professionals will face new challenges in the coming year. Some changes will fuel innovation, while others will spur debate around generative AI. And others, such as cyber threats, will force companies to mitigate and meet these risks head-on.

Kyndryl’s global practice leaders work with companies around the world to help them tackle their most pressing business objectives in modern ways. Here are some of the most influential trends that will impact IT decision-making in 2024 and beyond.

• FinOps Adoption: Enterprises will increasingly adopt FinOps to efficiently manage cloud investments in hybrid and multi-cloud environments, ensuring better cost control and collaboration across financial, technical, and business teams.

• Edge Computing and AI: More companies, particularly in manufacturing, will implement AI at the edge to use localized data for more efficient operations, addressing challenges like cost, environmental conditions, security, and labor. 

• Generative AI's Impact on Security: The rise of generative AI will bring both challenges and opportunities in cybersecurity, necessitating improved identity and access management, and reevaluation of traditional security models, while also automating routine tasks and boosting productivity.

• Strong Data Governance: The focus will be on robust data governance programs, as high-quality AI depends on high-quality data. Enterprises will seek partnerships and modernized data platforms to integrate generative AI across diverse data sources.

• Digital Workplace Evolution: There will be a greater emphasis on enhancing employee and customer experiences through digital workplace technologies, linking IT more closely with HR processes and customer-facing operations.

• Mainframe Skills Focus: Enterprises will prioritize partnerships for mainframe management, optimization and modernization, addressing skill gaps and ensuring integration of new technologies like AI with existing mainframe applications.

Net Zero Goal

As the world’s largest IT infrastructure services provider, Kyndryl set goals to hold itself accountable for progress across its businesses, operations, supply chain and society. As part of the company’s sustainability program, aligned with its environmental priorities, Kyndryl aims to reduce its environmental impact and help stakeholders meet regulatory, customer and investor requirements, through a strategic roadmap centered on three main areas:

• Greenhouse Gas Emission Goals: Since becoming independent, Kyndryl has established clear emission reduction targets and established its 2040 net zero GHG emissions goal. The aim is to cut direct and indirect emissions by 50% globally and use 100% renewable energy sources by 2030.

• Customer Collaboration: Recognizing that environmental challenges extend beyond operations, Kyndryl is partnering with customers and allies to implement sustainable solutions across industries. By offering technology-driven approaches, like AI and machine learning, cloud infrastructures and digitizing the workplace, Kyndryl helps to scale positive environmental impacts.

• Employee Education and Engagement: Building a culture of sustainability, Kyndryl is educating its global workforce on its net zero commitments and encouraging involvement in sustainable practices. Initiatives like the Carbon Literacy Project and the Green Guild are empowering Kyndryl employees to contribute to a sustainable future, both in their personal and professional lives.