The landscape is changing dramatically. The tech we used 20 years ago is completely redundant (would Windows 95 even work now?) and in another 20 years, the tech that we will use to power our lives and power our companies will make the current systems look infantile. Will the Android app still succeed 20 years? Will social media be relevant, and will the technology boom we are experiencing be as accessible to everyone? This is an interesting concept in how people run businesses; the speed of tech has made it possible for companies to find out so much information about people because we have most likely filled out an online form somewhere at some point and a company simply bought that data. But what is going to happen in the next few years? The stories Isaac Asimov wrote are slowly coming to life, and while Skynet hasn’t been invented yet, it looks like it could only be a matter of time. But what will businesses be able to do in the next few years to make their tech turn a new corner? Here are some of the most exciting developments.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/gleonhard/31368864465
Analysis Will Go 24/7
DMPs (data management platforms) are being used on a large scale to keep track of the huge amounts of information that any company has on their clients and customers. And while there have been CRM systems that have been making the most of analysing customer data and have proven invaluable to businesses in recent years, DMPs will go one step further, and be able to store, analyse and manage this data all in one place. There are those that are looking to increase their business capabilities and cover much more ground. Many works with a technology partner, who provides information on how they can use certain IT to match their business goals. As the need for more detailed analysis will determine the edge a company will have over its rivals, DMPs will become much more widespread and affordable for smaller companies.
IoT Will Skyrocket
The “Internet-Of-Things” relies on the concept of cloud computing. Cloud-based operating systems are incredibly popular across the board for many reasons, from increased storage to the reduced carbon footprint, and many businesses are using it to increase their relationships with customers and clients. Put simply, the “Internet-Of-Things” is a concept of all devices becoming more interconnected. You can see this in how people are able to control their thermostat using their smartphone, but in business, and especially customer service businesses, this is a way for people to gather a lot more information on their customers. Analytics can already show when customers are online or what time of day they prefer to do their online shopping, but with the IoT, the devices being able to pick up on trends of not just a group of people, but individual users, this means that everything can be tailored to your personal tastes.
Automation Will Become The Norm
A concept that you may have seen on the TV show Humans, the menial tasks that many people do now could easily be replaced by machines in the very near future. So for people whose jobs consist of punching in numbers onto a spreadsheet all day could find themselves looking for work very soon! Manufacturing has shown that machines can piece together a computer or parts of a car, which, as soon as it is duplicated on a massive scale, will mean that it’s not just the jobs that are being made redundant, it’s the people too! What does this mean for the industry as a whole? As the less reliance on people decreases and the automation technology improves, workers are going to be left quaking in their boots! And if you're reading this as a factory worker, or an admin assistant, it’s time to start doing some night courses!
Machine Learning Will Increase…
Back to Skynet again! And while we hope a machine doesn’t become so self-aware to do the damage seen in T2: Judgement Day, we have seen what machine learning is capable of purely by the apps that we use every day. Machine learning has shown up on Pinterest and Facebook in the way it recommends certain products and items based on your search history. It’s a great tool for people that want to get into marketing. This is becoming the standard for marketing. It makes the experience more personal for each user (or maybe a bit too personal) which helps with the analytics and data side of things. This will increase over the next few years, and it will work well with the next technological advance…
Virtual Reality Will Be A Reality
Not The Lawnmower Man type of virtual reality, but close! As computers and tech increase its scope, we will be able to interact with our websites, and the user experience will have gone up another notch. While we are invested in our smartphones so much that we barely notice the world around us, the addition of VR to homes over the next few years will mean that we won't need to spend much time in the real world anymore! And while that may sound a little dramatic, the way we interact with social media now won't just consist of comments, we will be able to communicate in an almost tangible way. Skype and Facetime are already keeping us in contact, but the improvements in VR will colour our entire internet experience, from buying items to chatting with our relatives.
The leaps and bounds that we see in tech are exciting for businesses and consumers, but it also shows the perils that people may be facing if they are working in a menial job, or don’t have many skills to put to use. As time wears on and automation becomes a common part of manufacturing, and machine learning and IoT means that analysis is a skill best left to machines, we will have to carve out our own niche in the technological landscape. It’s a new dawn out there…