Digital Disruption: A Game Changer in Global Business Trends

Introduction
Digital disruption is a recent phenomenon which has led to the growth and development of
various industries across the globe. Any new technology in the digital world that disrupts the
status quo and directly impact the value that is currently being offered by goods and services is
digital disruption (Bradley & O’Toole, 2016). At present, digital disruptions have occurred in
every leading industry. These disruptions have changed consumer behaviors, preferences and
attitudes towards different product categories.
Technology has immersed into our lives to an extent that the massive acceptance towards
technology has changed the shape of business markets. Blending of IT for personal as well as
professional use also known as consumerization of IT has also increased. Digital disruption has
been a boon for consumers as well as marketers. No doubt, it has led to the discontinuation of
various products and made them obsolete. Various economies and countries propagate and
promote digital disruption in order to propel their growth and development (Schmidt & Cohen,
2010).
There are so many innovations which have been gifted to us by digital disruptions that have
occurred in different parts of the world. Various global brands have spread to different parts of
the world owing to their disruptive nature. This report highlights upon several businesses that
have innovated products and services that have brought a massive wave of disruption and
changed the shape of the industry within which they operate.
Smartphones
Smartphones have become an essential part of our lives. By 2019, the total number of
smartphone users in the world is expected to cross the 5 billion mark (Statista, 2018). However,
Smartphone were the first form of digital disruption that occurred in the world. The first
Symbian based phone was launched in 2000 by Ericson. Today, Smartphones are capable of
performing tasks that were impossible by traditional mobile phones. It is the growth of android,
windows and IOS operating systems that have effectively utilized the internet and created
millions of mobile applications to cater to the needs of over a billion customers across the globe
(Kenney et. al., 2015).

Smartphones were probably the first disruption that changed the shape of consumer electronics
industry (Evans & Forth, 2015). Smartphones allowed users to browse the internet, book
appointment, access social media, send emails, play online games, read the news and basically
remain connected with the entire world with the help of a single device. It was the advent of
smartphones that gave customers a firsthand experience of technology. The increasing use of
applications has allowed customers to book doctor appointments, movie tickets and even find
dating partners over the internet. The usage of traditional mobile phones was limited making and
receiving phone calls and text messages to people. This was possible in the 2000s as people had
started accepting technology and using it in their daily lives. Smartphones also faced immense
resistance when they were first launched but once the industry took off, it was a different ball
game altogether. Today a smartphone is not a luxury, it comprises of a basic need for human
beings and this is a disruption in the truest sense of the matter.
Uber
Uber taxi service was launched in 2009 and since then has taken over the taxi industry by the
storm. Initially if a person had to book cab to any particular destination, they essentially had to
leave their homes, wait for a while, hail the taxi, convince the taxi driver to go to the destination
and finally find the right amount of cash to pay the driver. Uber has saved individuals from the
long wait for taxis, the uncertainty of finding the taxi and the incorrigibility of the taxi driver.
With the help of a single mobile application, customers can now book an air conditioned taxi and
have the taxi reach their doorstep at their desired time (Dawson et. al., 2016). Customers can also
pay via online mediums and not worry about carrying cash. The driver has been critically
assigned after intensive analysis to ensure that the driver reaches on time and drops the passenger
in the desired location. Uber is currently present across 633 cities in different parts of the world.
Being the world’s largest taxi company, Uber has created a massive disruption as the brand does
not own a single car (Catlin et. al., 2015). All Uber provides is a platform to connect drivers and
passengers. The advent and the extent of the growth of Uber has been possible owing to
increasing technology and massive globalization that we are witnessing today. Many traditional
jobs have been lost since the inception of the brand and hence Uber is also banned in various
cities.