Mining is vital to the technologies that we rely on today, according to Darryl Willis, Vice President of the Energy Industry division at Global tech giant Microsoft.

Speaking at the International Mining and Resources Conference 2019 (IMARC) in Melbourne this morning, Mr Willis used the example of the mobile phone. 

“The cell phone has materials in it (sourced by the mining industry) including gold, silver and platinum.

“There are over five billion cell phones on the planet. I’m not sure how many people would be able to live without their cell phone, and that number is only going to grow,” said Mr Willis on the main stage of the conference. 

While Microsoft may be one of the largest tech companies in the world, Mr Willis said that he believed that every company is becoming a software company.

These thoughts echoed those of Goldcorp’s President and Chief Executive Officer, David Garofalo who spoke at IMARC in last year. 

In a similar vein, Mr Garfolo said that he believes that in the not-so-distant future, every mining company will be a technology company.

While oil, gas and mining companies rank among the largest and most influential organisations in the world, they also face monumental challenges that threaten their stability.

At the same time, innovations in digital technologies offer powerful tools that can revolutionise how the oil, gas, and mining industry operates and companies like Microsoft are working with partners to develop solutions including in data storage and data mining. 

“How is what you are doing today with your data different from what you were doing ten years ago,” Mr Willis said.

“Today, as we move away from technology created categories and buzzwords, it’s important that we begin to think about systems of intelligence.

“The ultimate goal of having access to all this data is to create value. Data is the opportunity of the future.”

The VP who spent 25 years working for oil supermajor BP said that the work that is being done today in the mining industry is absolutely vital to society.

“Many people ask why I left BP for Google and Google for Microsoft.

“It is the mission of empowering every person and every organisation on the planet to achieve more. We work hard to understand each other, our customers and society more broadly.

“Having made this transition, I can say the mission of empowering the world to achieve more resonates with me,” concluded Mr Willis.