UAE consumers worried about application failure during holiday season: Report

In recent findings released by Cisco, a significant surge in consumers relying on digital services and applications during the year-end festivities has been highlighted.

The study unveils that 78 per cent of individuals in the UAE consider digital services and applications as pivotal for a fulfilling holiday experience.

Up to 65 per cent of consumers in the country express heightened concerns compared to the global average (45 per cent) regarding potential disruptions to their celebrations if digital services fail to perform. Consequently, 63 per cent of those surveyed said they would be unwilling to forgive any application that disappoints during the holiday season.

James Harvey, CTO Advisor EMEA at Cisco Observability, emphasised, “The research serves as a stark reminder of the criticality of application reliability, performance, and security for brands aiming to capitalise on the soaring demand for applications during the holidays.”

Harvey added, “Application owners across all sectors are under immense pressure to ensure peak operational performance; consumers have zero tolerance for subpar digital experiences.”

Digital services’ integral role

The research delves into the extensive spectrum of digital services people anticipate using throughout the festive season.

From streaming entertainment, staying connected with loved ones, staying informed with news updates, to managing finances, consumers will heavily rely on diverse applications during their celebrations.

However, given the pivotal role of digital services in holiday plans, the ramifications of application malfunctioning are profound. Over half of consumers (53 per cent) express concerns about digital service failures potentially impacting their family holidays.

Specifically, UAE consumers highlight various scenarios that could dampen their holiday spirits. Worries include banking application failures affecting crucial payments (45 per cent), messaging platform outages impacting communication with friends and family (43 per cent), and retail application breakdowns hindering last-minute gift purchases or holiday meal ingredients (38 per cent).

Increased stakes for application owners

As the holiday season approaches, the stakes have escalated for application owners.

IT teams are now grappling with massive pressure to optimise digital experiences.

Harvey stressed the importance of application observability for technologists, affirming that implementing such measures could mitigate pressure by flagging issues beforehand and ensuring a smoother holiday experience, free from disruptive application concerns.

Also read: UAE consumers among the most demanding globally for seamless app experiences