5 Tech Trends That Will Change the Future of Business
Over the past decade, the amount of technological innovation that has occurred far surpasses that of any other time period in history. Not only are mobile phones and computers more advanced than ever before, but all forms of technology are ever-evolving to adapt to human needs. Trends toward e-commerce, enhanced delivery systems, and countless new forms of A.I. are being rolled out on a frequent basis, many of which the general public is uninformed of due to the simple fact of information overload. Here are some very relevant new trends that everyone working in the business realm should keep an eye on in the coming years, as they could revolutionize both upcoming and existing industries.
Incorporating A.I. Into the Workplace
Advances in artificial intelligence have allowed many businesses to begin simplifying repetitive, back-end tasks that for years have taken countless hours of work, putting a limit on total production. Allowing advanced automation software to handle procedures such as order processing, internal form-filling, and data analysis will give you and your staff more time to focus on larger-scale projects and objectives. Although many are under the impression that A.I. is eliminating jobs entirely, it actually works best when used supplementarily with human intelligence and capabilities. Many HR and recruitment services will emphasize this fact when approaching potential candidates. Knowing the extent of how your company strategically implements A.I. should always be considered and constantly improved. Consider if there are any processes within your business or career field that would be better suited if automated to eliminate monotonous workflows.
Social Media Advertising
Influencer marketing has become the standard for most B2C and B2B business models. Utilizing social media as well as search engine optimization to ensure you reach your optimal customer-base will allow you to expand rapidly. Featured ads and content on social media platforms can lead to more visits to your company’s site and hopefully result in conversions. Although advertising has always been advantageous to business-practices, social media adds an element of customization and personalization for your target consumer. Although sometimes costly in terms of research and development, ads such as these will undoubtedly bring new business into your company.
Unification of Software
If you work in an office/corporate setting, you probably find yourself using a number of different business solutions and communication systems on a daily basis. Your workflow can become hectic and disorganized if you find yourself juggling Slack for communication, Outlook for mail, Zoom for conferencing, and any other software you may have in place. Utilizing a unified communication software will allow you to do all of these tasks within the same platform for more streamlined and efficient work processes. Not only will this save you the time and hassle of switching from one outlet to another, but will ultimately save the entire company in the long-term. Costs tend to balloon when businesses don’t use a centralized communication model but instead, rely on multiple vendors with multiple contracts.
Cloud Usage
Many worldwide superpowers such as Oracle, IBM, and Microsoft are all fighting to gain the upper hand in the cloud business. And although all of these companies offer a similar product, their main emphasis is on security — protecting your most classified and important data from potential hacks. Cloud computing is almost a necessity if you work in a client-driven field. The highest priority should always be to ensure that you and your clients’ privileged information and documents are not corrupted. While computing, and doing business online have been around for decades, cloud-based tech has just recently become a focal point for large-scale corporations. Adopting the cloud to your business processes could be highly beneficial if you have the capital to afford this type of service. Do what’s best for your company’s well-being and to adequately secure your customers’ information from any type of external breach.
5G Capabilities
The institution of 5G cellular capabilities will be one of the biggest technological advances of the 21st century. The speeds and bandwidth that will be possible with 5G far exceed that of 4G or any other previous iterations. With little to no latency, download speeds will be a matter of seconds instead of several minutes or even hours. Additionally, 5G will only further the efficiency of a unified communication system by supporting the interconnected systems across an entire company. And even though it hasn’t been released to the general public yet, expect 5G to become the new standard for all carrier plans and utilized extensively in the corporate environment moving into the next decade.
