  Digital systems are, by definition, the core of digital transformation. This
has led many to think that the system being considered in digital
transformation is solely software. I argue that this approach is a fatal
mistake, and it has induced a great number of already realized problems and
even a greater number of concerns about the future. These problems and concerns
have become evident along with rising requirements for sustainability and
responsibility. In this paper, I call for a better understanding of the digital
society in its entirety. By digital society I mean the societal system that is
affected by the digital systems and the ongoing societal trans-formations. When
shifting the focus to the effects of digital systems on societies, we are
forced to consider all the anticipated outcomes, both desirable and undesirable
ones. Unfortunately, the mainstream research has ignored, to a large extent,
the potential threats, and unwanted outcomes, of digitalization, which makes
the efforts to change software businesses to be more sustainable, difficult to
succeed. In my paper, I will provide an overall picture of current and future
challenges of digital societies and discuss what these challenges mean to the
software industry in future. The easiest way to start with, is to learn from
earlier experiences, especially from the unsuccessful stories.
