Technology is always on the move, but it does not follow a set route. Advanced tech offers new opportunities, but also revives outdated technologies and gives struggling technologies a new chance. IT research giant Gartner recently published a list of the most important IT developments in 2020. These are the technologies to look out for in 2020! Click Here For It Companies
- Edge computing and distributed cloud
The cloud helps companies store large amounts of data and can also run software externally. Very useful and valuable, but nowadays it is clear that this technique also has a few shortcomings. The amount of data that is sent today is enormous, and with the arrival of 5G it will explode again. To guarantee that critical information remains available in real time, one counts on ‘edge computing’, in combination with a ‘distributed cloud’.
Edge computing means that the calculations take place ‘at the edge of the network’. This can be a device, such as a self-driving car, but also a smaller data center that is close to where the information is needed (distributed cloud). Important calculations and programs run there, without the cloud (initially) involved. As a result, the network is not overloaded and the response time remains fast.
Once the calculations have been performed, the data can be sent to the cloud at a later time, if it is quieter on the network. For the Internet of Things, the speed of edge computing is very important, as is the streaming of computer games and the running of independent cars, for example.
- 5G network
T-Mobile will start rolling out the 5G data network in 2020. For consumers this means (much) faster mobile Internet with better coverage. That is quite nice, but the greatest potential of 5G is for the public sector and the business community.
The large capacity of 5G means that almost all devices can communicate via the Internet and can be controlled via a computer. At the same time, sensors can collect all kinds of data and transmit them immediately. This means you are aware of what is happening in real time and can intervene immediately.
The interconnection of devices opens the doors for significant efficiency gains for industry and the public sector. In addition, 5G offers enormous opportunities to innovate. T-Mobile and T-Systems organize special meetings to reflect on the opportunities offered by the super fast, stable network.
- Blockchain is gaining momentum
With every mutation, a blockchain code becomes longer (hence ‘chain’), but it is not possible to shorten it: it will become invalid. The entire course of a product, from raw material to purchase by the consumer (and beyond!) Can therefore be read in a ‘chain’. The entire logistics process can be checked at once. In addition, blockchain technology is very interesting for companies because of the finances. Because all transactions are preserved, the blockchain is a very strong weapon in the fight against fraud.
Another advantage of Blockchain is the possibility of ‘smart contracts’. This is an agreement between parties that is immediately executed when the achieved result is reached. After drawing up the contract, for example, a supplier is paid immediately when he delivers the ordered goods, without any further human involvement.
- Hyper Automation
The use of smart devices in a company provides an enormous amount of data about the production process. This information makes it easier to uncover the strengths and weaknesses in a process and to take measures. By subsequently integrating appropriate software, which helps staff in their work, many companies can achieve efficiency gains.
Where industrial robots and the assembly line boosted production work, hyper automation can do this for work that people normally do on computers.
An important part of hyper automation is ‘robotic process automation’. Smart computer programs take simple steps in the business process from people. RPA also acts as an automatic link between different computer programs, which normally cannot communicate. For example, an invoice in your mailbox is automatically recognized, processed and entered in the administration program.
A smart RPA also understands information from legacy programs (legacy systems), enabling them to tap into a wealth of ‘new old’ data.
- Ethics
Information technology is everywhere, and society has been rocked by several tech scandals in recent years. What information is collected about me, and what is it used for? How do certain algorithms work on social media, and how safe is our smart baby monitor? In the coming years, the use of artificial intelligence will increase and more people will acquire smart devices; these questions will therefore become even more pregnant in the future.
The General Data Protection Regulation was an important step to ensure privacy, and clearer rules may also need to be in place for newer technologies. From ethical considerations, but also from a business point of view.
- Multi-experience
The online aspect of companies is indispensable nowadays. Customers want interaction via your website, an app, perhaps a chatbot or a voice interface in their ‘smart home’. In the near future, companies will have to consider extended reality applications such as virtual and augmented reality.
You prefer to keep all these different versions in your own hands, easily scalable and responsive. Multi-experience development is key in this case: a team that makes one program that runs on all different devices. That’s a big challenge, because designing an interface for a smartphone app is different from a program you can talk to. However, the approach also has many advantages in terms of clarity, safety and efficiency.
- Cyber security
Devices that communicate with each other, processes that are automatically performed by artificial intelligence; these are very interesting developments, but it also means that cyber security is becoming even more important. The enormous number of communicating devices alone creates multiple points at which an attack can be launched.
On the other hand, smart use of machine learning can actually help to discover, recognize and combat attacks through advanced pattern recognition. It is certain that there is work to be done in the field of cyber security.
- Autonomous devices
(Semi-) autonomous devices are already the order of the day in large warehouses and distribution centers. Self-driving cars are not yet completely ready for public roads, but major steps are being taken to make autonomous means of transport roadworthy.
Self-driving, sailing and flying devices operate cheaply and efficiently and are usually focused on one specialist (or dangerous) task. They can largely take over this work, but they cannot completely replace employees (or create new jobs again).
- Democratization of technology
Tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Intel have spent millions of years developing artificial intelligence. As the possibilities of machine learning increase, various programs and tools are finding their way to a wider audience.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will become more widely applicable in the coming period, even if you do not have much knowledge of the technology yourself. Artificial intelligence can assist professionals with research and, for example, programming apps and sites. This saves time (and expensive courses) if the expertise of employees is in other areas.
- Extended reality
The real world and digital environments are criss-crossed, and extended reality will make this even clearer in the coming years. Extended reality is an umbrella term for different technologies that combine reality with the virtual. Sometimes the emphasis is on the virtual (virtual reality), then more on the real (augmented reality). Games like Pokémon Go are well-known examples, but are just the beginning.
VR allows employees to train in a safe, relatively inexpensive manner. Augmented reality projects critical information on top of reality, or lets consumers interact with your products interactively.
The techniques are getting cheaper, and augmented reality and mixed reality in particular are already possible with a smartphone. It’s a great time to delve into the possibilities.
