With 2016 moving towards the end, the technology revolution and augmentation in businesses continue to barrel forward with disruptive and emerging trends mushrooming every day. As the startup climate takes over, today’s businesses have begun sporting an environment that is rich with technology adoption.
Digital transformations have reshaped almost every aspect of businesses. Here is a list of the predictions that will define technology implementation in businesses for the next year.
IoT Will Create Valuable Customer Experiences
Driven by the latest tools of technology, customer expectations have accelerated over the years and businesses have been looking for ways to provide satisfactory experiences to them. The Internet of Things has been instrumental in making this possible.
In 2017, the Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to become more valuable to exceed customer expectations. It has been labeled as the next Industrial Revolution.
- By 2020, the number of connected devices will rise to 50 billion.
- $6 trillion will be invested in IoT over the next five years.
With companies offering IoT services, customer service will become smarter.
Wireless Technology Will Become the New Norm
Hybrid wireless technologies will connect two or more devices to provide seamless experiences for users. Apple has already adopted the wireless bandwagon by launching the iPhone 7 with the wireless headphones along with plans to launch the iPhone 8 which is expected to have wireless charging capability.
Other companies have joined in as well. Cable and Internet provider Comcast is planning to offer wireless services by mid-2017. Verizon network’s leased airwaves combined with millions of WiFi locations of Comcast will be used to provide this service to its customers.
Apart from that, wireless for multiple dwelling units or MDU wireless, will continue to be a basic amenity for residential complexes.
Big Data Will Become More Influential
The implementation of big data for all kinds of businesses will become a basic step for all kind of business in 2017. This will lead to major upgrades in speed and efficiency. Technology will evolve for improved big data storage for companies.
Such increased adoption will be fueled by the various benefits that businesses can avail from big data. Not only does it help in developing better products and services and serving customers better, it also provides a competitive advantage to the businesses.
Memorable Interactions With AR and VR
With the disruptive trends of augmented and virtual reality taking the center stage, these are expected to turn the business landscape upside down in the next year. With headsets and other tools being made accessible, these technologies have come way beyond the gaming real and into the world of businesses and customer interactions.
For example, tech powerhouses like Google, Microsoft etc. are creating software and hardware for VR that will rival the appeal of the existing technologies and change how we shop, communicate and advertise.
The appeal of these technologies lies in the fact that these can engage users by allowing them to interact with the simulations. It has been estimated that AR and VR would become a $150 billion market by 2020. As many as 67% organizations are planning to augment these technologies in their businesses.
Mobility Will Dominate
Mobile workplace is going to be the new norm for 2017. Businesses have already accepted the trend of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). 2017 will witness the companies devising strategies to make the most of this trend.
According to Fred Mouawad, CEO of TaskWorld, a company that is focused on employee management and performance, “The key is building an environment of trust in your company. As technology gets more mobile, it will become next to impossible for companies to restrict employees from using their own device.”
This will enable the workforce to become more productive. Additionally, this will lead to flexible working hours. Cloud-based services will help businesses overcome all obstacles to integrate mobile technology into their systems. We are already familiar with cloud-computing and have been using the services for quite some time now. Fueled by the mobile technology trend, cloud-computing will become immensely popular in the upcoming years.
These trendsetters are expected to stay in the limelight for years to come. Therefore, businesses should start devising strategies to make the most of these and stay ahead of their competition.
Read more: