Digital Darwinism: Meaning, Examples and Drivers

When a BJP MP Tarun Vijay urged patriotic Indians to use the Bhuvan mapping software developed by ISRO rather than Google Maps; an article was published in financial express which said pleading patriotism would not work for Bhuvan in this era of “Digital Darwinism”. The concept of Digital Darwinism was given by Brian Solis. As per Solis, we all are witnessing Digital Darwinism — an era when technology and society evolve faster than the ability to adapt or lead. In this era, the organizations must either adapt or die. Digital Darwinism favors those organizations that at least try to evolve to compete.

Examples of Digital Darwinism

• Between 2004 and 2012, Nokia and Motorola lost 90% of their market while Apple and Samsung gained. It shows how Apple transformed itself from a computer and mp3 player maker to a mobile company after disrupting the telecom business with their smart-phones and corresponding app ecosystem.
• Between 2000 and 2012, Books retailer Barnes and Noble lost almost half of its market share while Amazon grew multiple times.
• Between 2006 and 2012, movie rental Blockbuster’s revenue dropped to almost zero while Netflix grew by 360%.

The above examples indicate that Digital Darwinism threatens most organizations in almost every industry. Because of this, businesses not only have to compete for today but also for the unforeseeable future.

Questions for Analysis

• How Digital Darwinism is different from Darwinism?
• In the era of Digital Darwinism, what are the most important technologies which have the capacity to influence the future of business, policy making and governance?
• Examine the Bhuvan software in comparison to Google Maps while keeping in focus Digital Darwinism.

How Digital Darwinism is different from Darwinism?

Traditional Darwinism addresses biological evolution through natural selection and the ability to survive. Digital Darwinism exposes the risk for companies to be victims of the accelerating pace of digital adoption as their traditional business models fail to adapt to rapidly-changing customers needs.

Digital Darwinism also would imply digital transformation. It is the realignment of, or new investment in, technology, business models, and processes to drive new value for customers and employees to more effectively compete in an ever-changing digital economy. Change is the only thing which is constant and that holds important tagline for Digital Transformation.

In the era of Digital Darwinism, what are the most important technologies which have the capacity to influence the future of business, policy making and governance?

Some of these technologies are as follows:

• Mobile: Anywhere, anytime access to broadband connectivity from a range of devices, wireless networks, operating systems and applications
• Big data: The massive quantity and variety of structured and unstructured data from internet-connected systems, devices and physical objects
• Artificial intelligence and robotics: The broad range of machines and computer systems that demonstrate limited characteristics of intelligence
• Cybersecurity: Protection from new forms of cyber risk, attack, crime and terrorism caused by increased reliance on personal and professional digital devices and data
• Educational: Trends and tools that are changing and enhancing educational achievements, developments, techniques and possibilities
• Cloud: Internet-based technology resources – such as software applications, computing power and data storage – provided remotely as a service
• Payment systems: New, evolving and emerging internet-enabled software applications, currencies, payment platforms, devices and services
• Virtual and augmented reality: Technologies that use computer modelling to simulate, overlay and supplement reality and enable people to interact
• Digital service delivery: New technologies used to provide online, interactive, self-service, business processes, software and services
• Social: Technologies that support social interaction and are enabled by communications technology, such as the internet.

Examine Bhuvan software in comparison to Google Maps while keeping in focus Digital Darwinism.

Bhuvan, developed in 2009, is a web-based GIS tool developed by ISRO. It allows users to explore 2D/3D maps, especially of India, over the web. While the software certainly entails benefits for the government such as mapping for disaster services, climate and environment, etc., the layman stands less to benefit from it. It lacks basic features like location-tracking and traffic updates which are most important for individuals today in this Digitised world. Bhuvan also is not handy when it comes to services like locating ATMs or sharing location over the internet. The only place where it trumps Google Maps is that it provides services in four Indian languages- English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu.

While the software is chiefly directed for government-use, to attract the lay user, it will have to do better than providing just location data and clearer images of rooftops, because in a free market, people will lean more towards a technology that offers a larger spectrum of uses and is widely-used already.

The best the government can do for Bhuvan is to keep adding features that excite general users and does not allow them to lean towards technologies like Google Maps.