Accenture’s latest research for our Technology Vision 2019, our annual checkpoint on the technology priorities which businesses should start planning for now, offers the first trend as “DARQ power”.  This research and our work with the leading CSPs across the globe mean that we firmly believe that distributed ledger technology, artificial intelligence (AI), extended reality (XR) and quantum computing will be the next set of new technologies to spark a step change in allowing the reimagination of entire industries. Read more about this trend and the research results for the Communications Industry here: www.accenture.com/telcoblockchain

1. DARQ
POWERUnderstanding the DNA of DARQ to drive
value for the Communications Industry
#TechVision2019
Accenture.com/telcoblockchain

2. Accenture Technology Vision 2019
DARQ
POWER
Understanding
theDNAof
DARQ
1 GETTO
KNOWME
Unlockunique
consumers
andunique
opportunities
HUMAN+
WORKER
Changethe
workplace
orhinderthe
workforce
SECUREUS
TOSECUREME
Enterprises
arenotvictims,
they’revectors
MYMARKETS
Meetconsumers’
needsatthe
speedofnow
TREND
2
TREND
3
TREND
4
TREND
5
TREND
#TechVision2019
2www.accenture.com/technologyvision
Are you ready for what’s next?
The Post-Digital Era is upon us.

3. TREND 4
SECURE US
TO SECURE ME
Enterprises
are not victims,
they’re vectors
TREND 3
HUMAN+
WORKER
Change the
workplace or hinder
the workforce
TREND 5
MYMARKETS
Meet consumers’
needs at the
speed of now
TREND 2
GET TO
KNOW ME
Unlock unique
consumers
and unique
opportunities
#TechVision2019
TREND 1
DARQ
POWER
Understanding
the DNA of DARQ
accenture.com/technologyvision
3
91%
are already
experimenting with
one of more DARQ
technologies
86%
agree digital
demographics give
their organizations a
new way to identify
market opportunities
for unmet customer
needs
72%
agree their
employees are more
digital mature than
their organization,
resulting in a
workforce that is
“waiting” for the
organization to
catch up
28%
Only 28% report that
they know that their
ecosystem partners
are working
diligently, like they
are, to be compliant
and resilient with
regard to security
84%
agree the integration
of customization and
real-time delivery is
the next big wave of
competitive
advantage
Communications Industry Research Results
Accenture Technology Vision 2019

4. 6%
49%
45%
Significantly
accelerated
Accelerated
Stayed the same
Slowed
6%
46%
48%
94%ofCommunications
industryexecutivesreport
thatthepaceofinnovation
intheirorganizationshas
acceleratedoverthepast
threeyearsdueto
emergingtechnologies
accenture.com/technologyvision 4
How have emerging technologies
changed the pace of innovation in your
organization over the past three years?
Global n = 6672; Communications n = 565
CommunicationsGlobal

5. 46% 33%
78%ofCommunications Industryexecutives agree
SMAC has moved beyond adoption silos to become
part of the core technology foundation for their
organizations
45% 33%
Agree Strongly Agree
SMAC(Social,Mobile,Analytics,Cloud)has
movedtothecore
Please indicate the change SMAC
technologies have made in your
organization over the past five years
#TechVision2019
accenture.com/technologyvision 5
28%
44%
21%
5%
1%
1%
28%
46%
19%
5%
1%
1%
1 - Transformational
2 - Extensive
3 - Incremental
4 - No noticeable
impact
5 - Negative impact
6 - Don't know
Communic
ations
Communications
Global
Global n = 6672; Communications n = 565
Global
79%
78%

6. #TechVision2019
New technologies are catalysts for change,
offering extraordinary new business capabilities.
Distributed ledger technology, artificial
intelligence (AI), extended reality (XR) and
quantum computing will be the next set
of new technologies to spark a step change,
letting businesses reimagine entire industries.
DARQ
POWER
Understanding the DNA of DARQ
TREND 1
accenture.com/technologyvision 6

7. #TechVision2019
accenture.com/technologyvision
Individually, these four technologies represent opportunities for
businesses to differentiate their products and services. Collectively, they
will open new pathways into the future.
DISTRIBUTED
LEDGERS
Distributed ledgers will
expand networks by
eliminating the need
for trusted third parties
ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE (AI)
AI already plays a role
in optimizing processes
and influencing strategic
decision-making
EXTENDED
REALITY (XR)
Extended reality, an
immersive technology,
creates entirely new ways
for people to experience
and engage with the
world around them
QUANTUM
Quantum technology will
usher in novel ways to
approach and solve the
hardest computational
problems
7
DARQ technologies will be key
post-digital differentiators.

8. 8
TECHNOLOGIESRANKEDBYEXECUTIVESINTERMS
OFWHICHWILLHAVETHEGREATESTIMPACTON
THEIRORGANIZATIONOVERTHENEXT3YEARS
28%
15%
29% 25%
26%
17%
28%
26%
24%
24%
22%
27%
19%
41%
18% 19%
Distributed
Ledgers /
Blockchain
Artificial
Intelligence
Extended Reality Quantum
Computing
Greatest impact
Second greatest impact
Third greatest impact
Fourth greatest impact
33%
13%
27% 25%
22%
19%
32%
25%
24%
24%
22%
28%
19%
43%
17% 19%
Distributed
Ledgers /
Blockchain
Artificial
Intelligence
Extended Reality Quantum
Computing
When asked to rank which of the DARQ technologies will have the greatest impact on their organization over
the next three years, 43% of Communications Industry executives ranked AI number one
Global Communications
Global n = 6672; Communications n = 565
accenture.com/technologyvision

9. Like SMAC, DARQ
technologies will be greater
together than they are
separately
SomeDARQtechnologiesmayseemmore
impactfultoday,butexploringallfourwillbe
crucialtotakeadvantageofcombinatorialeffects
How do you anticipate the combination of DARQ
technologies will transform your organization over the
next three years?
#TechVision2019
accenture.com/technologyvision 9
28%
41%
23%
5%
1%
1%
30%
43%
20%
5%
1%
1%
1 - Transformational
2 - Extensive
3 - Incremental
4 - No noticeable impact
5 - Negative impact
6 - Don't know Communications
Global
Global n = 6672; Communications n = 565

10. 2%
18%
24%
25%
22%
7%
Adopted across multiple business units
Adopted in one business unit
Piloting
Evaluating or planning to pilot
Not planning or evaluating for adoption
Don't know
1%
18%
24%
27%
24%
5%
91% of Communications Industry executives are
currently experimenting with one or more DARQ
technologies
accenture.com/technologyvision 10
Please indicate your organization’s stage of adoption for each of the following
emerging technologies today
Artificial Intelligence Distributed Ledgers/Blockchain Extended Reality
3%
15%
23%
27%
23%
9%
2%
16%
27%
25%
22%
8%
3%
13%
22%
27%
24%
11%
2%
15%
26%
27%
21%
9%
Communications Communications Communications
Global n = 6672; Communications n = 565
Global Global Global

11. When DARQ technologies reach maturity,
they will spark a step change, offering
businesses major opportunities.
This has happened before.
During the digital revolution,
social, mobile, analytics,
and cloud (SMAC) combined
to enable a step change
in business.
Now, DARQ
technologies will
impact the same areas
of business as SMAC.
When DARQ technologies
mature and converge,
they will spark another
step change.
#TechVision2019
11www.accenture.com/technologyvision

12. 89%
of businesses
are already
experimenting
with one or more
DARQ technologies.
• According to our survey, 67 percent of
companies report that AI is being piloted
or adopted in their organization.
• Distributed ledger investments are exploding,
with blockchain and cryptocurrency startups
alone collecting almost $3.9 billion in the
first three-quarters of 2018, nearly three
times the total for 2017.
Why start now? The first wave
of businesses using DARQ to drive
differentiation is already here.
12www.accenture.com/technologyvision
#TechVision2019

13. 92%
of executives say
SMAC technologies
are still considered
a competitive
differentiator for
their organization.
In the post-digital age, “digital” will be
a core expectation of being in business.
But that doesn’t mean that the value of
SMAC investments is over. Strong SMAC
foundations will let businesses explore
DARQ technologies while they are still
in early stages—a must if they want to
stay ahead of competitors.
Not only does this give businesses a head
start with DARQ, it also creates new value
from previous investments, extending
the digital business into the future.
To get started, businesses can use
their previous digital investments as a
springboard for early forays into DARQ.
#TechVision2019
13www.accenture.com/technologyvision

14. Many ignored SMAC for too
long. How can businesses
avoid this mistake with DARQ?
Companies can work on
developing new DARQ-
enabled capabilities as
soon as the maturing
technologies make
them possible.
Companies can push the
development of DARQ
technologies forward, and
discover new capabilities,
by experimenting with
combinatorial effects.
Companies can explore
ways to support their DARQ
experiments with technologies
they have already invested in,
using their digital foundations to
launch meaningful pilots early on.
#TechVision2019
14www.accenture.com/technologyvision

15. #TechVision2019
15www.accenture.com/technologyvision
DECISION
POINTS

16. • Early-stage DARQ pilots will heavily rely on SMAC
practices. Prioritize the completion of ongoing
digital transformation efforts.
• Consider where businesses in the Communications
Industry stumbled with SMAC adoption at the
beginning of the digital revolution, and what pitfalls
were difficult or impossible to recover from. This will
help you build roadmaps for the growth of DARQ
technologies, and ultimately determine the optimal
time to involve your business in each one.
Is your digital foundation
ready for DARQ?1
#TechVision2019
16www.accenture.com/technologyvision

17. • Decide whether you will buy or build your own AI tools,
taking AI training and security requirements into account.
• Explore different XR use cases in the enterprise. Depending on how
you expect to use XR throughout your business, decide whether you
should begin building an in-house team to design XR experiences,
or establish vendor contracts.
• Begin identifying the best use cases for distributed ledger technology
in your industry. Will you use it internally or to pivot quickly between
many business partnerships?
• Establish relationships with leading quantum cloud vendors and explore
new quantum computing capabilities as they are made available.
Determine how your organization will
access the DARQ technologies that are
relevant for your business, keeping in
mind their different levels of maturity.
2
#TechVision2019
17www.accenture.com/technologyvision

18. • Approach hiring, training, and employee retention
with DARQ in mind. As the technologies become more
pervasive, expertise will be increasingly in demand.
• As recruiting DARQ talent becomes more competitive,
consider training programs to reskill your current
employees and incentivize them to stay.
How are you adding DARQ
skills to your current workforce?3
#TechVision2019
18www.accenture.com/technologyvision

19. • DARQ technologies have the potential to transform whole
industries from the ground up. Start a future-looking
program dedicated to scenario planning. Task the
team with exploring different possible futures for your
organization, driven by the industry-level impact of DARQ.
• Steer your industry toward your company’s preferred
future with strategic combinations of DARQ technologies.
Evaluate each combination, taking into account what can
be implemented today and what capabilities they will
enable as they mature. Use this information as you
build your overall DARQ strategy.
How can you use DARQ to shape
the future of the Communications
Industry?
4
#TechVision2019
19www.accenture.com/technologyvision

20. Find out more about DARQ Power at:
www.accenture.com/darq
#TechVision2019
www.accenture.com/technologyvision
www.accenture.com/telecoms
www.accenture.com/telcoblockchain
Copyright © 2019 Accenture. All rights reserved.
THANKYOU

21. #TechVision2019
SURVEY
DEMOGRAPHICS
accenture.com/technologyvision 21

22. Copyright © 2018 Accenture. All rights reserved. 22

23. 23
THESURVEYWASFIELDEDOCTOBER–
DECEMBER2018
Global n = 6672
14
34
14
34
14
11
29
14
30
31
31
7
8
30
8
8
5
10
8
38
30
11
7
10
30
99
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Brazil
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
France
Germany
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Japan
Malaysia
Poland
Portugal
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
South Africa
Spain
Switzerland
Thailand
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
137
334
81
306
296
133
411
133
318
329
297
60
116
295
61
30
67
56
109
62
284
264
96
60
133
372
1 832
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Brazil
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
France
Germany
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Japan
Malaysia
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
South Africa
Spain
Switzerland
Thailand
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Communications n = 565
113
198
784
132
602
78
143
529
577
130
166
131
82
86
535
655
52
311
565
130
166
507
Aerospace & Defense
Automotive
Banking
Chemicals
Consumer Goods & Services
Healthcare Payor
Healthcare Provider
Industrial Equipment
Insurance
Life Sciences
Media
Metals & Mining
Oil & Gas – Downstream
Oil & Gas – Upstream
Public Service (Not…
Retail
Semiconductors
Software and Platforms…
Telecommunications
Transportation passenger
Travel (including Airlines,…
Utilities
565Telecommunications
Respondent LocationRespondent Location Industry Industry

24. 24
THESURVEYWASFIELDEDOCTOBER–
DECEMBER2018
Revenue Title
Job
Global n = 6672 Communications n = 565
37%
18%
19%
19%
3%
1%
3%
$1-$5.9 billion
$6-9.9 billion
$10-$19.9 billion
$20-$49.9 billion
$50 billion or more
$250 million-$500 million
$500 million-$999 million
30%
70%
Business
IT
20%
17%
16%
10%
7%
7%
5%
5%
5%
3%
3%
1%
1%
1%
Director, IT
Chief Information Officer
Chief Technology Officer
Director of Technology
Chief Operating Officer
Chief Marketing Officer
Chief Finance Officer
Chief Information Security
Officer
Chief Strategy Officer
Director of Business Function
(Non IT-related)
Director, Line of Business (Non IT-
related)
Chief Security Officer
Chief Mobility Officer
Other C-suite title
Revenue Title
Job
35%
19%
17%
22%
3%
1%
3%
$1-$5.9 billion
$6-9.9 billion
$10-$19.9 billion
$20-$49.9 billion
$50 billion or more
$250 million-$500 million
$500 million-$999 million
49%
51%
Business
IT
13%
13%
13%
11%
9%
8%
7%
7%
6%
4%
3%
2%
1%
1%
Chief Information Officer
Chief Operating Officer
Director, IT
Chief Technology Officer
Chief Finance Officer
Director of Business Function
(Non IT-related)
Director of Technology
Chief Marketing Officer
Director, Line of Business (Non IT-
related)
Chief Strategy Officer
Chief Information Security
Officer
Chief Security Officer
Chief Mobility Officer
Other C-suite title