Top tech trends to emerge in post Covid world
The COVID-19 has shown us the value of digital preparation, with shutting down of businesses and coping to continue as normal during the pandemic, we have come across some really drastic challenges in last couple of months. The government has put lockdowns in place to curb the spread of the deadly virus. For many businesses, work from home is a new reality, as they struggle to operate during these uncertain times. Schools and colleges are conducting online classes to complete their syllabus; social distance is the new norm in grocery stores and e-commerce companies are delivering their customers with covid-safe deliveries. Last year around the same time we were very excited about the start of a new decade and new digital transformation trends. but here we are, a year later, still dealing with a global pandemic that has upended literally every industry. This pandemic is the biggest catalyst for digital transformation which will significantly intensify many big developments that are already well underway before the pandemic. This would be applicable to innovations that reduce human-tohuman contact, automate processes, and increase productivity amid social distancing. Here are some of the tech trends that have higher demand in future as well:
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is already well known, but is yet to become omnipresent in every single part of our everyday lives. In 2021, we expect AI technologies to grow exponentially and feature within nearly all tech products and services.
Generally, AI refers to the usage of algorithms to solve specific tasks by studying large amounts of data to make generalizations and/or some statistic estimations. These algorithms enable a computer to “behave” just like a human
brain. According to some analytics, by 2030 AI products will contribute more than $15.7 trillion to the global economy. A number of technological innovations such as data processing, and face and speech recognition have become possible due to AI.
AI software is a vast area to which one can include AI platforms, chatbots, machine learning and deep learning, and analytics tasks for financial services. It’s expected that in 2020 more tailored applications and services for specific or specialized tasks will be offered.
Acceptance of AI chatbots by service is growing in such areas as online retail, healthcare, telecommunications, banking, financial advice, insurance, dealership and government. Under conditions of COVID-19 spreading all over the world, AI may contribute to the forecasting of consumers’ wishes, which became hardly predictable, and to help businesses organize effective logistics. chatbots may provide clients’ support 24/7, one of the ‘must-have’ during the lockdown. The popularity of machine learning may grow due to the necessity of the improvement of algorithm-moderators of posts and visual content in social networks.
despite some prominent needs and never ending developments in this field there are also some voicing concerns about some of the risks of AI, it is already widely used to predict maintenance and assess risks. but with potential applications in every single industry, 2021 could be the year that AI finally comes of age.
Connected vehicles, Drones and Robots
Last year, we thought for sure that 2020 would be the year we’d move closer to connected cities and autonomous vehicles. but thanks to the pandemic everything has experienced a big pause. However, we are seeing an expansion in how governments collect data for contact tracing. Apps with APIS from Google and Apple are being used — with great success — in countries in europe. This technology, while only used for the virus right now, could probably be tweaked and put into use for other smart city uses.
connected cars might not have been a priority during the pandemic, but car companies are still making headlines and moving the technology forward, Tesla, of course has been a big story of the year, as its cars and its wild new truck design have sold healthily despite the economic uncertainty.
As social distancing becomes the new normal, robots are moving from controlled environments to uncontrolled environments in many industries faster than we expected. They are more critical than ever, as businesses and governments search for new, “contact-less” solutions.
In the short-term, robots and drones are taking on new responsibilities during the pandemic. robots are joining our frontline workers and helping to fight the virus. They’re helping businesses do even more. The pandemic is showing robots and drones in their best light, and the impact won’t be forgotten.
In the long-run from here, the robotics ecosystem will be accelerated. The pandemic is strengthening the case for robotics and automation. The growing need for automation will boost more than just robotics. While today’s robotics leaders are stepping up to the plate to fill pandemic-related roles, the ones truly thinking long-term are also building the foundation of a more automated future.
These moves might be small, but the impact could be great on the industry as we move into 2021.
5G Network
The pandemic has surely pushed for 5G!
5G is acknowledged as the future of communication and the cutting edge for the entire mobile industry. According to some analytics the deployment of 5G networks will emerge between 2020 and 2030, making possible zero-distance connectivity between people and connected machines. This type of mobile internet connectivity will provide us superfast download and upload speeds (five times faster than 4G capabilities) as well as more stable connections.
While 5G mobile data networks became available for the first time in 2019, they were mostly still expensive and limited to functioning in confined areas or major cities. It is likely 5G will have more affordable data plans and greatly improved coverage. It may become more usable even than the wired networks running into our homes and businesses. The increased bandwidth will give possibilities for growth in the area of the IOT and smart machinery enabling collection and transfer huge volumes of
data. during the pandemic, when people are staying home, access to 5G mobile internet may become a vital necessity in regions with no internet connection or low coverage.
5G will highly contribute to drone traffic monitoring, smart office buildings, fleet management, autonomous driving, and autonomous delivery robots. It has been the most promising tech trends, but now we are very close to the implementation and 2021 is the year of 5G!
Augmented Reality
Another tech trend that we should look out for in 2021 is augmented reality. many people have already heard of or tried out virtual reality, but don’t have much knowledge of what augmented reality means. As augmented reality becomes more mainstream, we expect to see more businesses use this in their marketing strategies. And as the world adjusts to the limitations of a post- coronavirus world, Ar may play a greater role in our everyday interactions.
Gaming companies are already using Ar extensively, with some in the e-sports sector predicting a future of vast augmented reality stadiums filled with fans watching the live Ar action as it unfolds.
This deep tech solution has enabled work-from-home, distance learning, home-based fitness, immersive entertainment, and networked social interactivity making it a part of the ‘new normal’, besides providing rapid medical responses that have been made possible, during the onslaught of the pandemic.
So, even while most businesses suffer from the consequences of lockdowns and restrictions, across different countries, the urge to drive business continuity has led to a high demand for new-age technologies including Ar/vr and its various forms such as, mixed reality and extended reality (mr & Xr).
The discussions at this stage are no longer limited but instead have progressed towards experiencing, emphasizing key technologies, industry ecosystem, and integrated innovations in the application aspects.
Cybersecurity
We know this is one tech trend that is least talked about nowadays, but it has made our list because cybersecurity now dominates the priorities of every organization as they adapt to a postcovid 19 world.
remote workers’ identities and devices are the new security perimeter and cybersecurity technology is constantly evolving in line with hackers who are becoming ever more advanced. most investors and researchers are predicting the rapid growth of cybersecurity in the coming years.
Some reports also suggest that the global cybersecurity market is currently worth $173b in 2020, and will be worth $270b by 2026. Jobs in this industry are also growing 3x faster than any other jobs in the world of tech, so look out for cybersecurity tools becoming more present in your everyday work and home life in 2021.
Our Trends Today
COVID-19 has made our Technology Vision trends more relevant and urgent than before. Opportunities that businesses expected to have years to prepare for are quickly approaching. To meet these challenges, organizations will need to innovate, invent, and redefine themselves. People are depending on technology more than ever. How quickly and responsibly enterprises deploy it matters more than ever, too. We are living in an unprecedented time, heading into a fast-changing future. Our technology trends can help you set your course! ■