Tony Olvet 
Group Vice President, Worldwide C-Suite and Canadian Future Enterprise Research | International Data Corporation (IDC)
Toronto, ON, CANADA
Group Vice President, Worldwide C-Suite and Canadian Future Enterprise Research at IDC
Biography
Tony Olvet is Group Vice President, worldwide C-suite tech agenda and lead for IDC's Future Enterprise research in Canada. His global responsibilities focus on the connection between business transformation and digital investments across the C-Suite through the lens of IDC's "Future of X" (FoX) framework. Tony's analysis and insights help technology vendors, IT professionals, and business executives make fact-based decisions on technology strategy. He also provides research leadership and management for the analyst team in Canada.
Tony has researched and authored analyst reports on a variety of industry topics including digital transformation, IoT, cloud and c-suite technology priorities. He is also a frequent public speaker delivering keynote presentations at conferences, IDC webinars, and virtual events for clients. Tony is member of IDC Canada’s senior leadership team and is based in Toronto, Canada.
Tony has worked with clients across a variety of organizations including global IT manufacturers, enterprise software vendors, telecom service providers, financial institutions and public sector organizations. He has been quoted in major business and industry media including CIO Magazine, The Globe and Mail, CBC and The Financial Post.
Tony earned a B.E.S. degree from the University of Waterloo, and an M.A. degree from the University of Toronto.
Media
Publications:
Documents:
Videos:
Audio/Podcasts:
Areas of Expertise (4)
Canadian ICT Market Trends
Top Executive Priorities
Digital Transformation
IoT & Mobility
Associated IDC Services (3)
- Canadian ICT Executive: Digital Transformation Strategies
- Canadian Internet of Things Ecosystem and Trends
- IDC Canada Senior Leadership Team
Education (2)
University of Toronto: M.A., Economic Geography
University of Waterloo: B.E.S, Geography
Languages (1)
- English
Analyst Research (1)
Media Appearances (35)
Telcos focus on investment opportunities amid changing pandemic demands
The Globe and Mail
2022-02-24
For enterprise demand in particular, this is a pivotal point, says Tony Olvet, group vice-president of the research analyst team at global technology research firm IDC Canada in Toronto. Organizations of all sizes are building on the lessons learned over the last two years, including investments in digital technologies – whether cloud-based, applications or security – into their business strategies.
Canadian ICT market to grow to $132.6 billion by 2025
Consulting.ca
2021-12-28
“Canadian IT and business leaders have told us that they are shifting their investments to more digital technologies. These investments along with greater adoption of as-a-service delivery models will be needed to support diverse customer engagement and data-driven operations,” Tony Olvet, group VP of research at IDC Canada, said.
IDC Canada Predicts Top 10 Tech Market Trends to Transform Enterprises in 2022 and Healthy Growth in the Canadian ICT Market Expected to Reach C$132.6 Billion by 2025
IDC Canada
2021-12-22
This year’s predictions were underscored by the conditions brought on by ongoing health, social and economic disruptions, which continue accelerating digital transformation, bringing Canadian organizations closer to their digital-first destiny. Navigating what's ahead will be critical as organizations advance digital transformation strategies to remain competitive. “Canadian IT and business leaders have told us that they are shifting their investments to more digital technologies. These investments along with greater adoption of as-a-service delivery models will be needed to support diverse customer engagement and data-driven operations.” said IDC Canada’s Group VP, Research, Tony Olvet
A roadmap for digital leadership
IT World Canada
2021-12-13
“Over the past six years, the SAP/ IDC survey has focused on observing the progress being made by Canadian organizations in becoming intelligent enterprises,” said Tony Olvet, VP of Research for IDC Group. “This year, we surveyed 150 Canadian organizations, specifically targeting strategy decision makers across IT and line of business in organizations with $50 million or more in revenue and a minimum of 500 employees.”
The future of work is hybrid
The Globe and Mail
2021-10-01
“There is a recognition that productivity, work-life balance, and other benefits can be achieved when employees are working remotely,” says Tony Olvet, group vice-president, research at IDC Canada. “At the same time, people have a need and a pent-up demand to have face-to-face interaction and collaboration with colleagues. And so, organizations have to move forward with the right mandates and structures in place to enable an effective hybrid model.”
IDC Canada Unveils its 10 Canadian Tech Market Predictions for 2021 and Highlights the Digital Path Ahead to Succeed in the Next Normal
IDC Canada online
2020-12-16
International Data Corporation (IDC) Canada just released its technology predictions for 2021. The IDC Market Presentation entitled IDC Canada Predictions 2021: Digital Priorities for the Future Enterprise (IDC# CA47071220), was originally presented during IDC's annual Canadian Tech Predictions webcast on December 8th, 2020 and provides business decision-makers and technology vendors with insight and perspective into the top developments that will affect the Canadian market in 2021. According to Tony Olvet, Group Vice President of Research at IDC Canada, "The number one priority for Canadian businesses in 2021 is digital resiliency and our predictions reflect that priority. The pandemic caused an accelerated move to digital technologies and services in large part to serve customers and support employees in new ways. But as business and IT leaders look ahead to the post-pandemic economy, we don't expect them to go back to the old ways of doing business. Digital investments will continue, and the notion of resiliency will remain high on the executive agenda.”
New study reveals digital strategy helped companies perform well during pandemic, but only 12% actually have one running
IT World Canada
2020-11-24
There is a saying that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. A study by IDC Canada in partnership with SAP Canada conducted during the pandemic discovered that when it comes to performance, nothing could be truer: Companies without a digital strategy are being left behind. Tony Olvet, group vice-president, research for IDC Canada, added that although every organization is at a different stage of digital maturity, he believes that digital transformations have accelerated since the beginning of the pandemic.
Weekend Business Features: Digital Divide
680 News radio
2020-11-08
Kris McCusker and Tony Olvet, Group Vice-President of Research at IDC Canada, look at new data, which found that Canadian companies lacking a robust digital strategy are being left behind during the pandemic.
IDC Canada survey: Digital thermometer checkpoints more popular than contact tracing among businesses
ITWC
2020-09-30
Removing the office hasn’t slowed down big banks’ modernization efforts. TD Bank, for example, has increased its digital engagement in Canada by 30 per cent since the start of the pandemic, explained Tony Olvet, group vice-president of research during the webcast. The bank also launched more than 100 new capabilities and its virtual assistant logged more than 75,000 customer sessions in the early days of the pandemic. Olvet says Canadian banks and larger public sector organizations are warming up to open source technology, accelerating the growth of digital innovation in Canada.
IDC Expects Canada’s Telecom Market to Face a Significant Revenue Slowdown in 2020 and Beyond
IDC Canada online
2020-04-06
The global COVID-19 pandemic and the necessary containment measures put in place by governments will substantially impact the Canadian telecommunications services market producing negative growth in 2020 before rebounding in 2021. "The probable scenario assumes the coronavirus is broadly contained by June. The optimistic scenario, which appears very unlikely, assumes the virus is more rapidly contained, and business and investments recover quickly and accelerate in Q3” said Tony Olvet, Group Vice-President Research, at IDC Canada. “Finally, a pessimistic scenario that considers a less controlled, longer-lasting, virus 'rebound' effect through Q3 and Q4."
Some businesses struggle under COVID-19, while others can barely keep up with demand
The Star
2020-03-25
Canada has good technological infrastructure in place to support a large segment of the workforce working from home, Olvet said, but there is still a limited capacity. “It reinforces the importance of ongoing capital expenditures to make sure the network is going to be able to handle a new workload and the data requirements for a far more distributed workforce.” Olvet said whenever we get on the other side of COVID-19, there will likely be a “big strategic rethink” by most companies about how they organize their workforce. “The possibility of another pandemic will always loom now.”
IDC Canada Releases Its 2020 Predictions for the Canadian ICT Market – Moving From Digital Vision to Execution
IDC Canada online
2019-12-12
International Data Corporation (IDC) Canada just released its top ten information and communication technology predictions for 2020. The IDC Market Presentation entitled Canadian ICT Predictions 2020: From Digital Vision to Execution (IDC# CA44463319), was originally presented during IDC's annual Canadian ICT Predictions webcast on December 4th, 2019 and provides business decision makers and technology vendors with insight and perspective into the top developments that will affect the Canadian market over the next one to five years.
IDC’s Top Executive Survey Results 2019
CIO Association of Canada
2019-09-27
IDC Canada’s annual Top Executive survey is a featured study for CIOs. In partnership with the CIO Association of Canada, IDC surveyed business and IT executives on their top priorities, challenges and outlook. Join IDC’s Tony Olvet and Rob Burbach to hear how the c-suite in Canada is tackling key issues such as digital transformation, innovation, and the rapid emergence of new technologies.
The Digital Transformation Conference and Awards 2019 at a glance
IT World Canada
2019-08-12
What is 5G and why should people care? IDC’s Tony Olvet, group vice-president of research with IDC, did his best to answer those two monster-sized questions in 15 minutes.
IDC Canada Releases 7 New Forecasts to Help Vendors Understand the Unique Nuances of the Canadian ICT Market
IDC online
2019-05-22
International Data Corporation (IDC) Canada announced today the release of seven new forecast reports for the Canadian information and communications technology (ICT) market from multiple research subscription services. IDC Market Forecasts help technology suppliers identify market drivers and size, measure current performance, analyze leading market indicators, as well as plan for future opportunities and growth.
Canadian ICT Predictions 2019: Business Innovation, Accelerated Infrastructure and the Future of Work
CIO Association Canada
2019-02-08
Adhering to what has now become a long-standing annual tradition, the Toronto Chapter welcomed the International Data Corporation (IDC) and association members to the Telus Tower in downtown Toronto to reveal this year’s ICT predictions. The highly anticipated event spurred thought-provoking discussion amongst audience members and left attendees with an interesting take on how information and communication technology will transform society in the coming years. This year, a familiar trio gave the interactive presentation: Lars Goransson, Managing Director, IDC Canada Tony Olvet: Group VP, Research Jason Bremner: VP, Industry & Business Solutions
IDC Canada Releases Its 2019 ICT Predictions for Canada – Get Ready for Business Innovation, Accelerated Infrastructure and the Future of Work
IDC online
2018-12-12
International Data Corporation (IDC) Canada just released its top information and communication technology predictions for 2019. The IDC Market Presentation entitled Canadian ICT Predictions 2019: Business Innovation, Accelerated Infrastructure and the Future of Work (IDC# CA43241318), was originally presented during IDC's annual Canadian ICT Predictions webcast on December 6th, 2018 and provides business decision makers and technology vendors with insight and perspective into the top developments that will affect the Canadian market over the next one to five years. View the webcast on-demand.
Why business leaders must cultivate digital change agents
Globe and Mail
2018-09-17
By now the buzzwords are familiar: artificial intelligence, machine learning, the internet of things, big data, blockchain. While most people have a vague sense of the potential impact these technologies will have, Canadian business leaders must turn potential into results. A wave of change is washing over business, and the implications are significant. As Canadian enterprises face the challenges of new global competition, shifting customer demands, economic uncertainty and an ever-quickening cycle of innovation, decision-makers must build a digital transformation road map.
Q&A: IDC Canada lead on the top 5 paths companies can take to digital transformation
IT Business
2018-08-01
Tony Olvet is a senior researcher with IDC Canada, which story made headlines recently after the Financial Post wrote that a recent study had concluded that 77 per cent of Canadian retailers have no innovation strategy in place.
Canadian firms at risk of falling behind on digital transformation, IDC study finds
Financial Post
2018-07-19
New research from IDC Canada finds that Canadian executives need to embrace digital transformation and risk-taking to remain globally competitive, and the rate of adoption varies widely when it comes to major tech trends.
Opportunities abound in a 5G world
IT World Canada
2018-06-11
On June 14 you can join IDC and Rogers for a stimulating discussion about the future of wireless in Canada and how it will impact your business. Tony Olvet, Group VP Research at IDC Canada, and Thomas A. Turner, Senior VP of Rogers will be presenting.
Shaw employees say atmosphere is grim following massive buyout offer
Mobile Syrup
2018-01-31
On January 29th, Shaw employees received a surprising internal memo from the company’s president, Jay Mehr. In the memo, Mehr wrote that Shaw was volunteering to buy out 6,500 employees, or an estimated 46 percent of the company’s current workforce.
What CIOs really need to know about IDC’s 2018 predictions
IT World Canada
2018-01-30
IDC Canada released its predictions for 2018 at the end of last year, but further elucidated on what that CIOs should really do about them in a presentation in Toronto last week.
IDC Canada predicts AI speakers will be in over one million Canadian households by 2018
Mobile Syrup
2017-12-11
Smart speakers will begin hitting the Canadian market en masse by the end of 2018, IDC Canada predicts. The Canadian arm of global research and analysis firm International Data Corporation (IDC) has released its top predictions for information and communication tech (ICT) in 2018, and one of its most noteworthy predictions is that one million Canadian households will have standalone intelligent assistants by 2019.
Canadian business executives underestimate the impact of digital transformation
IT World Canada
2017-11-16
Only 22 per cent of Canadian business executives think that digital transformation will disrupt their enterprises, according to a new IDC survey. “Business leaders have a less urgent view of digital transformation (DX) as compared to their IT counterparts,” said Tony Olvet, Group VP of Research, at IDC Canada. More than half of IT executives see a disruptive impact coming, he said. Olvet was presenting the findings of IDC’s annual top executives in Canada survey at an ITWC webinar.
Canadian Companies Need to Care More about Digital Customer Experience According to New IDC MaturityScape Benchmark on Digital Transformation
Press Release
2017-06-19
International Data Corporation (IDC) Canada announced today the release of a new report assessing Canadian enterprises' maturity and progress in implementing digital transformation initiatives and products across their organizations. IDC MaturityScape Benchmark: Omni-Experience Digital Transformation in Canada, 2017 (IDC #CA42445617) focuses on the first dimension of digital transformation, and is a follow-up report to IDC MaturityScape Benchmark: Digital Transformation in Canada, 2016 (IDC #CA41078216, May 2016).
The digital drag
The Globe and Mail
2017-04-12
Just 38 per cent of Canadian companies are executing on a digital strategy that will keep their businesses current and ward off disruptors, according to an IDC Canada and SAP Canada report, released in April, that surveyed 300 senior leaders, including IT and chief investment officers, at companies across the country. “That’s a cause for concern,” says Tony Olvet, group vice-president of research for IDC Canada. “There needs to be less talk and more action.”
Industry consortium including Deloitte, SAP and AWS founded to accelerate ‘digital transformation’
Financial Post
2017-02-24
Digital transformation — the adoption of digital technologies such as cloud, big data, mobile, and social networking — has become a key differentiator in our increasingly global business environment. With 2016 IDC research telling us that 63 per cent of large Canadian organizations are digital laggards who are resisting (21 per cent) or just beginning to explore (42 per cent) a digital transformation, 10 organizations have come together to help companies accelerate the move and become more globally competitive with the launch of DXagents.
Digital Transformation is a marathon, not a sprint
IT World Canada
2017-02-14
Over the past 12-18 months, many organizations have initiated digital transformation strategies and are beginning to enjoy financial and business benefits. But it is a long journey, and others early in the process are still asking key questions around processes, business models and technology strategies.
Canadian enterprises aren’t prepared for digital transformation: IDC
IT World Canada
2016-08-15
While Canadian organizations have clued in that digital transformation can be the key for future business success, many firms still lack the requisite digital expertise to compete on a global level, according to a recent report.
Adapting to the Digital Economy Requires Strategic Leadership
The Globe and Mail online
2016-05-31
Corporate Canada could learn a thing or two from the manager of a Blockbuster video chain – if they could find one. Digital transformation is upending a growing number of legacy industries, catching many leaders and their workers unprepared. Some are trying to piece together their businesses and livelihoods. Others are giving up completely....
Is your business at risk?
Wealth professional online
2016-04-11
In a release, Tony Olvet, the group vice president of IDC Canada, outlined what he believes is the worrying nature of these results. “Two-thirds of Canadian executives are either not currently feeling a competitive threat or their customer base hasn’t radically changed,” he said. “However, for many of these organizations, digital transformation is inevitable and missing or ignoring threats and opportunities is a risky position to take...
The age of digital transformation is here, but are Canadian businesses ready?
IT World Canada online
2016-04-01
IDC notes the third platform represents millions of apps, billions of users and trillions of things — and a DX strategy can be a key to business success. It’s a forward-looking business mindset where technology is viewed as a key source of competitive advantage and fundamentally changes how IT is managed and funded, according to Tony Olvet, group vice president of the research analyst team at Toronto-based IDC Canada. According to Olvet, DX is an innovative business approach in creating, selling, delivering, or consuming products or services with increased agility, flexibility, and scalability...
Canadian telecom companies aiming to crack into cloud services
The Globe and Mail online
2016-01-18
Tony Olvet, group vice-president of research at IDC, says the market for cloud-based services is “growing rapidly” as companies, which have already become comfortable using Web-based software applications, are now spending money on more complex solutions such as outsourcing servers and other computing infrastructure...
IDC’s Canadian IoT forecast makes the smartphone market look small
IT World Canada
2014-05-15
IDC Canada is projecting the market for products and services related to the Internet of Things will reach $21 billion within four years, driven by the hope among CIOs that it will boost productivity and reduce complexity, the research firm said Thursday. Speaking at IDC Canada’s 30th anniversary celebration in downtown Toronto, IDC Canada group vice-president Tony Olvet unveiled the firm’s first major Canadian Internet of Things (IoT) report, which details a market worth $5.6 billion today. Olvet told the room of mostly local technology vendors that IoT revenue will grow at 30 percent CAGR, providing the business case for projects is crystal-clear.
Social