As 2019 comes to an end, we are not only starting a new year, but a new decade! Technology has advanced so much over the last 10 years and we have no reason to believe it will slow down now. In fact, many believe the pace of advancements will continue to speed up. With 2020 quickly approaching, it is important to look to the future and try to prepare for the new tech trends to come. Here are the 5 advancing technologies we are keeping our eye on this year:
AI
Artificial intelligence is not a new concept. Chances are if you are a person living in the modern world you have interacted with AI. The field of AI research was founded in 1956 at Dartmouth College. Although the process was not as easy as they thought it would be, artificial intelligence continues to make impressive strides forward. This year artificial intelligence will be more prevalent in everyday operations. We will see an increase in automated tasks like scheduling and streamlining of business operations. Chatbots being used for customer service will not only increase in quantity but in sophistication. We will also see more people using AI for predictive analytics. Examples of this might include data mining, data modeling, statistical models, targeting new audiences for acquisition and predicting the likelihood of conversion, etc. The possibilities for AI truly are limitless and 2020 will have a wider adoption of custom applications and services tailored to meet your specific business needs.
Increasing applications of IoT Devices
By 2020 each person had an average of 4 connected devices, by 2030 it is predicted that we’d have 15 devices each. The goal of IoT moving forward will be smart wearables, smart home, the smart city and the smart grid. However, IoT has so many implications for every type of business. It is changing the way we look at manufacturing, logistics, environmental monitoring, energy management, healthcare, media and more. IoT adoption in every industry will result in smarter, faster, more efficient processes. With all these new solutions we will also see a rise in the importance of security and data protection.
The Cloud
These days it seems more common for people to think data storage than condensed water vapor when you say the word “cloud”. However, that doesn’t mean we won’t see increased implementation and changes in cloud computing in 2020. 65% of North American enterprises rely on public cloud platforms but the lack of cost-optimization processes results in a 40% overspend in public cloud. This year we expect to see more alliances from public cloud leaders. We will also see a shift in focus to security after the public cloud data breaches of this year.
5G
Will 2020 be the year of 5G? It looks like it. 5G will be the backbone that will enable all these technological advancements we are talking about. The fully mobile and completely connected society it will create an environment where Industry 4.0 can thrive. The implementation of 5G will accelerate industrial IoT. It will also drive improvements in 3D gaming and augmented reality apps. Businesses of all sizes need to be ready for 5G and think about how it can advance their IoT processes. According to a report form Ericson, by 2022 there will be 18 billion IoT devices. 1.5 billion of them will operate on cellular connections.
Voice
Alexa, what is going to happen in 2020? While your voice assistant probably can’t predict the future, you can expect it to help you with more things this year. 60% of smartphone users have tried voice search at least once in the last year. 55% of teenagers use voice search every day. Voice capabilities are changing our search behavior. When we use voice-based search it is much more conversational and that will need to be reflected in you SEO and website strategy. Voice search will change the way we find what we are looking for and businesses who don’t adapt will see a fall in their traffic.
How Can Sierra Help
2020 should be a huge year for technological advancement! In fact, to most people it can seem overwhelming to keep up with everything. As we have seen over the last decade the businesses who are quick to adapt to new tech are the ones that are thriving. Give us a call at (412) 722-0707 to see how we can help with your custom software project, cloud services, security, SEO, or anything else to make sure you start 2020 right.
