In this unusual year, technology has been an essential ally for companies. Digital transformation has become an urgent need for both the private and public sectors and has been an essential part of adapting to the new normal. But how will technology change your work and personal life next year? Here are 10 technology trends to keep in mind for 2021.
10 technology trends for 2021
Artificial Intelligence (AI), the year of its maturity in business
Artificial intelligence will be applied to a wide range of information, including video, voice, network traffic activity, and sensor data. It is estimated that at least 25,000 million things will be connected by 2021. It is also expected that AI technologies will grow exponentially and will be included in almost all technology products.
2021 could be the year AI finally settles, focusing on improving the customer experience and modernizing business actions. Artificial intelligence is powered by the arrival of Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa.
E-commerce
E-commerce has peaked this year. It has the ability to alter the entire industry by personalizing and improving the shopping experience. Now consumers want simpler and faster shopping experiences.
If we know something today, it’s that the young trust Google, Amazon, Apple and Microsoft much more, which has made many companies adopt tech commerce models.
An example of the growth of this type of commerce can be seen in Instagram Shopping, a powerful marketing and sales tool. Every day there are new offers and products that drive sales through the same social network.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (AR)
Other technology trends that we must take into account in 2021 are virtual reality and augmented reality. Virtual reality immerses the individual in an environment, while augmented reality enlarges the environment of the users.
As augmented reality becomes mainstream, we expect more companies to use it in their marketing strategies to make stronger connections. And as the world adjusts to the limitations of a post-covid world, AR can play quite a role.
According to Retail Perceptions, approximately 40% of consumers would be willing to spend more on a product if it offered an AR experience. Thus, it becomes a competitive advantage to improve commercial strategies.
Hosting virtual & hybrid events
Tech has already helped to host events in the toughest times, and we can only expect that unprecedented mission to continue in 2021. The virtual events that have taken place during this pandemic will endure after this health crisis ends. This doesn’t mean live events aren’t coming back. However, when they do, we can expect them to be hybrid events, where you will be able to attend virtually or in-person. This combination can ultimately play up the advantages that come with in-person events, while also having the more flexible benefits that can be drawn from virtual aspects.
Contactless & paperless technology to reduce contact
Another way technology is going to play a big part in 2021 is by reducing contact. For example, in events, ticketing, networking and registration processes will be more digital than ever. Technology will also reduce the need to touch things like business cards.
The standardization of Blockchain
Blockchain, is a single registry, consensual and distributed in several nodes of a network. In the case of cryptocurrencies, we can think of it as the accounting book where each of the transactions is recorded. Companies today obtain greater security and monetization of their business thanks to this data structure.
By 2021 it is estimated that these block chains may be applied in other sectors such as intellectual property or food security.
Institutions hope to see a development in Blockchain that focuses on preventing internet fraud and information leakage. However, there are also suggestions that Blockchain technology could profoundly impact the art, music, and creative space by examining artworks in search of counterfeits.
5G true potential
Right now, 5G provides little more than bandwidth higher than LTE and better latency. But it‘s expected that in 2021 we will start to see services that are only possible using 5G technologies.
Sectors like critical communications services for remote control of infrastructures or collaborative work in fields such as medicine, require 5G SA technologies with network slicing. In 2021 we should witness pilot projects that advance business models and commercial services later in segments such as industry, medicine, transport or infrastructure management.
Moreover, 5G promises to speed up the connection five times faster than 4G. This will allow users to have benefits such as downloading movies, songs and files in just five seconds. On the other hand, it will allow companies the possibility of offering digital channels with more content, achieving more proximity and 100% digital experiences. It’s a very fast connection that will soon become an enterprise technology for speed and data analysis. Furthermore, the introduction of LTE is not weakening and is estimated to reach $ 672 billion by the end of 2021.
More cybersecurity
For many companies, data is a critical business asset. But how is the value of that data measured? And what happens when that data is lost or stolen? A threat to a company’s data can be crippling and cause potentially irreparable damage to the company’s reputation.
Cybersecurity now dominates the priorities of all organizations as they adjust to the post-COVID 19 world. The identities and devices of remote workers are the new perimeters that must be hardened with security.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
Automation is at the highest peaks of the latest trends in information technology. Software consulting and software manufacturing companies will be required more than ever for the implementation of various optimization models within organizations as a result of the possible crises that were generated as a result of the pandemic and the inoperability of many sectors.
Remote working and “anywhere operations”
Remote working has become the basic technological adaptation of this 2020 and it’s expected to continue next year. Although anywhere operations from any location will take a step further from remote working and remote customer service. We are talking about services such as cloud infrastructure or Edge Computing. In essence, this trend will allow customers and workers to operate from anywhere, safely.
Being prepared for these 10 technology trends is not a bad idea, on the contrary, it must be an attitude of internal research to know how to deal with the coming changes before they arrive and catch us by surprise.
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