Decade-Turning Technology Trends…. Looking Back & Forward
The end of any year wouldn’t be complete without a quick glance back at some of the key technologies that have impacted businesses over the past 12 months.
However, we’re also at the dawn of a new decade – and given the way in which technology has grown in the last ten years, it’s hard to predict what the 2020s will bring.
But let’s start by looking at where we are right now.
Beyond Buzzwords & Into The Boardroom
Digital transformation has continued to be a priority for large and small companies in 2019. But despite the term’s popularity, it’s more a ‘catch-all’ term than a single discipline.
There are many different aspects of digital transformation that businesses continue to adopt, including: enterprise mobility, flexible workplace solutions, security & privacy, blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT), smart manufacturing – to name just a few.
Combined with advances in machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) it’s clear that enterprises are moving towards an environment that prioritises automation, optimisation, and collaboration.
However, if we consider actual consumer needs – what they want from enterprises – there’s a strong indication that on-demand, real-time, multichannel services and support are expected. The challenge for companies to deliver these will remain a key concern in 2020, as the innovation stakes raise once again – in an increasingly competitive market.
More Tech = More Users To Onboard
But innovation aside, as enterprise tech becomes more sophisticated we’ll undoubtedly continue to see demand for ‘softer’ services too. For example, adoption and change management initiatives are likely to increase in importance, as CTOs and IT managers work more closely with other business units to ensure new technology takes root among users.
Equally, as remote working becomes more mainstream, there’s sure to be more focus on finding ways to encourage greater communication and collaboration. Again, ensuring these often product- and feature-heavy platforms become widely used will place importance on creating well-thought-out adoption strategies – that align with each company’s aims, objectives, and users.
Incremental Moves Towards The Cloud
All things considered, while technology solutions themselves may shift in terms of sophistication – such quantum computing, augmented analytics, and digital twins – it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be widely embraced. But over the next decade they might. However, this largely depends on customer and user needs and demand.
In reality, the next 12 months are unlikely to herald any major changes in enterprise IT – other than a continued increase in the adoption of cloud services to enable greater mobility and security.
What needs to change, however, the way in which businesses tackle culture change. As well addressing what they need from a strategic perspective, companies need to continuously review business processes, making sure they’re fit for purpose, and do more groundwork to ensure that the technologies invested in are adopted in the right way.
That’s something that won’t change – at least while people are still running businesses. Who knows where we could be in ten years’ time…?
As Head of Sales and Marketing, Niamh’s passion for facilitating flexible workstyles stems from the importance of work-life balance to her personally. Working daily with companies that are looking to embrace a digital transformation gives Niamh invaluable insights on what can be achieved though embracing market leading technologies.
