Tony Olvet 
Group Vice President, Research | International Data Corporation (IDC)
Toronto, ON, CANADA
Group Vice President of the research domains team at IDC Canada
Biography
Tony Olvet is Group Vice President of the research analyst team at IDC Canada. He is responsible for managing the services and research direction of the technology market analysts in Canada. Mr. Olvet is also a member of IDC Canada's Senior Leadership Team.
The analyst team that Mr. Olvet manages helps technology vendors, IT professionals, and business executives make fact-based decisions on technology marketing, deployment and strategy. He has researched and presented on a variety of industry topics including mobility, cloud computing, and top executive technology priorities.
Areas of Expertise (4)
Canadian ICT Market Trends
Top Executive Priorities
Digital Transformation
IoT & Mobility
Spotlight
Media
Publications:
Documents:
Videos:
Audio:
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
Links (4)
Media Appearances (32)
The Digital Divide and the Road to Recovery for Canadian Enterprises – Part 2
IDC Canada - Blog online
2020-07-09
Learn what attributes buyers are looking for from tech suppliers with IDC Canada's Tony Olvet.
The Digital Divide and the Road to Recovery for Canadian Enterprises - Part 1
IDC Canada - Blog online
2020-06-29
Learn How Tech Supports Enterprise Recovery with IDC Canada's Tony Olvet
ICT spending forecast ‘looks worse now’ than it did last month, says IDC Canada
IT World Canada online
2020-05-08
The telecom space is also seeing red, according to Tony Olvet, vice-president of research at IDC.
Across all four telecom categories, including wireline voice, data, internet, and wireless, spending will hit a -1 per cent growth rate. Olvet said that internet would be one the most “insulated” categories in the telecom space as people across the country are stuck at home, connecting to a bevy of online services.
Forget optimistic scenarios and buckle up for a big drop in IT spending this year, says IDC
Financial Post
2020-04-03
Tony Olvet, vice-president of research at IDC, described the situation as a “moving target,” and some of the most important questions remain unanswered.
“How are they going to prioritize certain types of technology spending if they can’t pay their employees or their suppliers of ongoing services,” he said.
IDC is also making efforts to visualize the impact of the coronavirus on business activities in Canada with a new index tool that’s still in beta mode. Olvet provided the briefing’s participants with a sneak peek of the dashboard. When the “high impact” filter is turned on, IDC’s index says the virus impacts nearly half of Canadian businesses. Retail, personal service, and manufacturing make up 80 per cent of the impacted employees. The majority of the affected employees are based in Toronto.
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."
Canadian ICT spending could shrink by 5 per cent in 2020: IDC
IT World Canada
2020-03-26
As the world responds to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada’s ICT spending is expected to shrink by up to five per cent in 2020, according to a new IDC report.
“The probable scenario assumes the coronavirus is broadly contained by June. The optimistic scenario assumes the virus is more rapidly contained, and business and investments recover quickly and accelerate in Q3. Finally, a pessimistic scenario that considers a less controlled, longer-lasting, virus ‘rebound’ effect through Q3 and Q4,” said Tony Olvet, group vice-president of research at IDC Canada.
IDC Expects Canada’s ICT Market to Face a Significant Slowdown in Technology Spending in 2020 and Beyond
IDC Canada online
2020-03-26
The coronavirus outbreak across the world and the necessary containment measures put in place by governments will substantially affect the Canadian IT markets, severely accelerating the impact already felt from the supply-driven effects from Asia. In this extremely fluid scenario, International Data Corporation (IDC) now expects to see a significant slowdown in technology spending in 2020 across Canadian organizations, with IT spending expected to decline by -5.0%.
"The probable scenario assumes the coronavirus is broadly contained by June. The optimistic scenario assumes the virus is more rapidly contained, and business and investments recover quickly and accelerate in Q3. Finally, a pessimistic scenario that considers a less controlled, longer-lasting, virus 'rebound' effect through Q3 and Q4," said Tony Olvet, GVP Research, at IDC Canada.
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.
Event Appearances (18)
How is COVID-19 Impacting Canadian Organizations?
COVID-19 Impact: Preparing for Recovery in the Canadian Tech Market Webcast
2020-06-04
How is COVID-19 Impacting Canadian Organizations?
COVID-19 Impact: What's Next for the Canadian ICT Market? Webcast
2020-05-06
How is COVID-19 Impacting Canadian Organizations?
COVID-19 Impact on the Canadian Technology Market Webcast
2020-04-02
Digital Transformation in Canada
Digital Transformation and The Evolving Tech Buyer's Journey: What Canadian Marketers Need to Know Webcast
2020-03-12
IDC Canada Predictions for 2020
Canadian ICT Predictions 2020 Webcast
2019-12-04
ET Canada - Opening Remarks
ET Canada Exchange Quebec
2019-11-04
Fireside Chat: Calgary Drop-In
ET Canada Exchange Quebec
2019-11-05
Fireside Chat: SAP Canada
ET Canada Exchange Quebec
2019-11-05
General Session Panel: Analyst Summit Wrap-Up & Q&A
ET Canada Exchange Quebec
2019-11-06
IDC Canada Top Executive Study 2019: Business Priorities, Digital Transformation and Innovation
IDC Top Executive Toronto - webinar
2019-09-26
Digital Transformation and IT Imperatives: The DX Journey in Canada
IT Inbound - Enterprise Tech Summit Ottawa
2019-05-16
Technology, Innovation and the CIO: Canadian Top Executive Views
IDC Directions 2019 Canada Toronto
2019-05-02
Future of Work Discussion Forum Panelist
Future of Work Discussion Forum - CORE Toronto
2019-04-11
IDC Canada Predictions 2018
CIO Association - Calgary Chapter Kick-off Calgary
2018-02-22
IDC Canada Predictions 2018
CIO Association - Vancouver Chapter Kick-off Vancouver
2018-02-20
IDC Canada Predictions 2018
CIO Association - Toronto Chapter Kick-off Toronto
2018-01-25
Canadian Top Executive Survey, 2017: Aligning Business and CIO Priorities in the Digital Economy
CIO Association - IDC Canada's Top Executive Survey Results Toronto - Web conference
2017-11-28
Driving DX in Canadian Enterprise: Addressing - Five Big Questions
IDC Directions 2017 Canada Toronto
2017-03-28
Reports (11)
Tony Olvet
2020-06-23
This IDC Survey Spotlight examines technology buyers' purchase decision making during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The findings are from IDC's COVID-19 Impact on IT Spending Survey, Wave 6, conducted in June 2020. The results are for Canadian organizations with 100+ employees. The analysis includes the top buying criteria and highlights those that have increased in importance during the pandemic.
Tony Olvet, Nigel Wallis
2020-06-11
This IDC Market Presentation was originally presented via a web conference on June 4, 2020. With the curve of new COVID-19 cases finally starting to flatten in Canada, the Canadian government is starting to loosen the restrictions on Canadians and get the economy moving again. Some businesses are opening up, while others prepare for the new normal with more employee safety precautions in place. While the Canadian tech market won't rebound quickly, we explore some of the growing markets in the near term.
Key topics to be discussed include how COVID-19 has caused an acceleration of digital transformation investments, including collaboration, cloud, security, IoT, and BDA; growth areas within the Canadian ICT market, including some industry-specific guidance; advice on targeting growth markets in the near term; and support for what Canadian tech companies can do to prepare for the new normal. The guidance covers COVID-19 responses in the context of the future enterprise and key digital agenda items. We have also included other IDC Canada COVID-19 research resources to explore.
Tony Olvet, Nigel Wallis
2020-05-13
This IDC Market Presentation was originally presented via a web conference on May 6, 2020. It explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Canadian ICT market since our last web conference update on April 2. The presentation addresses our latest economic context and scenario planning for Canada, our latest survey findings on the challenges and DX impacts in Canadian businesses, our updated IT and telecom forecasts and scenarios for ICT spending in Canada, and our essential guidance to tech vendors and buyers. The essential guidance covers COVID-19 responses in the context of the Future Enterprise and key digital agenda items. We have also included other Canadian COVID-19 resources to explore.
Tony Olvet
2020-04-29
This IDC Survey Spotlight examines digital transformation plans and focus areas during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The findings are from IDC's COVID-19 Impact on IT Spending Survey, Wave 2, conducted in April 2020. The results are for Canadian organizations with 100+ employees. The analysis includes the status of technology-led projects and DX focus areas to overcome challenges due to COVID-19, such as security, work environment, and collaboration.
Tony Olvet, Megha Kumar
2020-04-28
This IDC Perspective outlines the various stages of the "COVID-19 Business Impact: Hierarchy of Needs" framework. It provides examples of technologies that organizations can utilize and key issues that they need to address as they sustain themselves during this crisis. This framework can be used at an organizational level or a departmental level and can help guide IT suppliers as they serve customers.
"From remote work and employee engagement tools to security and network services, technology suppliers play a pivotal role in helping organizations persevere through the COVID-19 crisis. It is critical that they understand and address the needs of customers on the continuum from pandemic risk management to enabling organizational agility. Demonstrating empathy, being responsive, and maintaining transparency are paramount during this crisis," says Tony Olvet, group vice president of Research at IDC Canada.
Nigel Wallis, Tony Olvet, Meng Cong
2020-04-08
This Market Presentation explores the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the Canadian ICT market. The presentation addresses five key questions: What's the economic situation as a result of COVID-19? What are business executives and technology buyers doing in response? How is this impacting IT and telecom market growth forecasts? How are different industries and segments being impacted? And how can tech vendors and service providers approach and respond to customers? The analysis includes scenarios and forecasts for 2020 and 2021 to help vendors and service providers adjust their business forecasts, marketing and sales plans, and client engagements. The presentation also includes preliminary findings from two recent end-user surveys covering the impact of COVID-19 on Canadian businesses.
Tony Olvet, Dave Pearson
2020-02-05
This IDC Market Presentation on Ecosystem Pulse examines the IT demand being driven by lines of business within Canadian organizations and the key technologies comprising that demand. Demonstrated are the technologies requiring time, investment, and expertise from both internal IT resources and IT vendors and service providers. The most important attributes of vendors and service providers to IT consumers are also reviewed.
Tony Olvet, Lars Goransson
2019-12-12
This IDC Market Presentation explores IDC Canada's ICT predictions for 2020 and was originally presented as a web conference on December 4, 2019. The digital economy is already a reality for many industries, and forward-looking companies and organizations are well past the digital vision stage, now focusing massive amounts of investments into executing the transformation necessary to compete. IDC Canada research leaders Tony Olvet and Lars Goransson unveiled 10 key technology trends that will impact Canadian businesses over the next five years with implications for 2020. Prediction topics include digital KPIs, AI, the future of work, containerized applications and multicloud, edge infrastructure, partner software development, third-party cybersecurity partners, IoT, 5G, and connected home. Speaker notes are included for each slide.
Tony Olvet, Rob Burbach
2019-06-13
This IDC Survey presents the results of IDC's 2019 Canadian Top Executive Survey, which examines senior line-of-business executives and CIO priorities in the digital economy. The survey looks at how technology is being implemented and managed in Canadian organizations, with a focus on digital transformation (DX) and innovation initiatives. This IDC Survey examines several aspects of DX comparing and contrasting viewpoints from IT leaders with other line-of-business executives on topics like strategy, digital road maps, the role of innovation groups, IT's role in the organization, and the performance of IT suppliers.
Lars Goransson, Tony Olvet
2018-12-12
This IDC Market Presentation explores IDC Canada's ICT predictions for 2019 and was originally presented as a web conference on December 6, 2018. Thought leaders Tony Olvet and Lars Goransson unveiled 10 key technology trends that will impact Canadian businesses over the next 12 to 36 months. General themes explored include business innovation, accelerated infrastructure, and the future of work. Key prediction topics include digital transformation, developers, future of work, application and use case specialization, multicloud strategies, consumer privacy, artificial intelligence, 5G, security, and IoT as well as the edge. Speaker notes are included as the transcript. Readers can also view the original webcast replay here (available at www.brighttalk.com/webcast/15593/336993).
Tony Olvet
2018-09-10
September 2018
This IDC Survey presents key findings about the state of digital transformation (DX) in Canadian medium-sized and large enterprises. The short presentation looks at DX progress to date, digital road map plans, inhibitors to technology adoption, challenges to DX progress, organization structure, DX metrics, and IT-related KPIs. It provides insights to help vendors, providers, and partners build awareness and solutions around DX and allows Canadian businesses to compare DX approaches to their peers. The survey data comes from IDC Canada's Business and IT Advisory Panel (BITAP) Survey in August 2018.
"Business and IT leaders in Canadian enterprises are coming to grips with the reality of implementing new technology to meet their digital transformation goals across the enterprise. In Canada, we are seeing only modest progress around DX, as too many IT organizations face competing priorities to successfully deliver business outcomes beyond individual digital projects," stated Tony Olvet, group vice president research, IDC Canada.
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