Digital heritage is on the rise. In times of the digital revolution and the fusion of analog and digital life, long-term data protection and storage is becoming more and more a trend. While some companies, such as Facebook and Google, but also insurance companies and banks are already working on the subject of the digital heritage, it is still seldom used by users. Nevertheless, the trend of the digital heritage is an investment in the future. For many companies and start-ups, it is an opportunity to extend their business model with relevant functionality.
Opportunities of the digital heritage in the business world
The relevance of archiving digital content is demonstrated by an current initiative, which has made it its task to archive the declining German company Soundcloud. The “Archiv Team” takes care of the backup of podcasts and music pieces of the service for the following generations. They are dedicated to saving our digital heritage “, according to an interview.
While the grouping is dedicated to the preservation and archiving of a declining company, the private data of the users is no different. In a short time, the issue of access to the e-mail account or social media of a deceased or injured person will become an increasingly relevant issue. The push out of the market will be inevitable. The technologies to solve the smouldering problem have been around for a long time, but a uniform solution is a long time coming.
Different platforms and apps cover different aspects of the topic, but there has seldom been a better time for innovative solutions in this area.
Digital heritage in response to a megatrend
We are on our way to a “Data Era“. Trend One describes this development as follows:”Sensors and devices connected to the Internet leave a digital cast of themselves in the real world. Increasingly, digitization is becoming the driver of our lives and more and more industries, but also people, are shifting their knowledge and treasures to the digital world.
If you try to survive in the market as a digital company in the long term, you must not miss a glimpse into the future. Users are also getting older. In the present situation, however, the best way to learn from past experience is to look to the future. Companies can learn from traditional media such as newspapers. They have been struggling with subscriber deaths for some years now and are looking for solutions for a changing world and user community by innovating the business model. This can be avoided in data-driven companies by means of a sophisticated digital heritage.
The scenario techniques offer companies the opportunity to evaluate the advantages of digital inheritance. It serves not only for strategic development, but also for controlling and sensitization of entrepreneurs and stakeholders.
In summary, it can be said that companies have to think outside the box in their innovation management. With the right approach, digital transformation can also contribute to digital preservation, as the “Archive Team” is currently doing at Soundcloud – both privately and commercially.
