The 7 biggest technology trends for the year 2021
The year is coming to an end, and it’s a good time to take a good look at the technology trends that all companies and professionals need to be prepared for.
We are in the midst of the 4th Industrial Revolution, and technology is evolving faster than ever before.
And companies and individuals who don’t keep up with some of the major technology trends risk being left behind.
Understanding the key trends will enable individuals and companies to prepare for and take advantage of opportunities.
But now is the time to look ahead and identify the most important trends.
In this article, you will discover what are the seven most imminent trends that everyone should prepare for in 2021.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the most transformative technological evolutions of our time.
Most companies have started to explore how they can use AI
to improve the customer experience and streamline your business operations.
This will continue into 2020, and while people will become increasingly accustomed to working alongside AI,
design and deploy our own artificial intelligence-based systems
will remain an expensive proposition for most companies.
For this reason, much of the AI applications will continue to be done through as-a-service platform providers,
that allow us to simply feed our own data and pay for algorithms or compute resources as we use them.
Currently, these platforms, provided by companies such as Amazon, Google and Microsoft, tend to have a somewhat broad reach,
and custom engineering (often costly) is required to apply them to the specific tasks an organization may need.
During 2021, we will see wider adoption and a growing pool of suppliers
which are likely to start offering more tailored applications and services for specific or specialized tasks.
This will mean that no company will have any excuses for not using AI.
5G data networks
The 5th generation of mobile internet connection already gives us super fast download and upload speeds, as well as more stable connections.
Although 5G mobile data networks first became available in 2019, they were still mostly expensive and limited to operating in confined areas or large cities.
2021 is likely to be the year when 5G really starts to fly, with more affordable data plans, as well as greatly improved coverage,
which means everyone can join in the fun.
Superfast data networks will not only give us the ability to stream movies and music in higher quality when we are on the move.
The huge increase in speed means that mobile networks will be more usable than even the wired networks that reach our homes and businesses.
Businesses should consider the business implications of having super-fast and stable Internet access anywhere.
The increase in bandwidth will allow machines,
robots and autonomous vehicles collect and transfer more data than ever before,
which will lead to advances in the area of the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart machinery.
Extended Reality (Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and 360º Video)
Extended Reality (XR) is an umbrella term that encompasses several new and emerging technologies.
emerging technologies that are used to create more immersive digital experiences.
More specifically, it refers to virtual, augmented and mixed reality and 360º videos.
Virtual reality provides a fully digital immersion experience
in which you enter a digitally generated world using headphones that mix the real world.
Augmented reality superimposes digital objects on the real world through screens.
And finally, mixed reality (MR) is an extension of AR,
which means that users can interact with digital objects placed in the real world.
Like a holographic piano that you have placed in your room through an AR headset that you can play.
These technologies have been around for some years, but have been largely confined to the world of entertainment:
the Oculus and Vive headsets offer the latest in video gaming, and smartphone features such as camera filters and Pokemon Go-style gaming,
are the most visible examples of AR.
From 2021 this is all expected to change, as companies are faced with the wealth of exciting possibilities offered by the two current forms of RX.
Virtual reality and augmented reality will become increasingly prevalent for training purposes
and simulation, as well as offering new ways of interacting with customers.
In a world where human interaction is increasingly reduced, and with the rise of telecommuting,
applications such as virtual showrooms, virtual business meetings, virtual tours and other services will experience an unprecedented increase in demand.
Autonomous driving
Although we are not yet at the stage where we can routinely travel or even see,
autonomous vehicles in 2021 will undoubtedly continue to generate a significant amount of excitement.
In addition, other automotive systems that are not directly related to driving,
such as security and entertainment functions, will be increasingly automated and will rely more and more on data capture and analysis.
Google’s sister company, Waymo, has just completed a test of autonomous cabs in California, where it transported more than 6200 people in the first month.
It won’t just be cars, of course – road transportation and
maritime are becoming increasingly autonomous, and developments in this space are likely to continue over the next few years.
With the maturation of autonomous driving technology, we will also hear more and more about the actions that will be taken by regulators, lawmakers and authorities.
Changes in laws, existing infrastructure, and the use of new technologies are likely to be necessary.
social attitudes before autonomous driving becomes a practical reality for most of us.
During 2020, we are likely to start to see the debate around autonomous driving spread outside of the technology world,
as more and more people come to realize that the question is not “whether”,
but “when” it will become a reality.
Personalized and predictive medicine
Technology is transforming healthcare at an unprecedented pace.
The ability to capture data from wearable devices such as smartwatches
offers the possibility of increasingly predicting and treating people’s health problems.
even before they experience any symptoms.
In terms of treatment, the trend is towards much more personalized approaches.
This is called precision medicine, which allows physicians to prescribe drugs and apply treatments with greater precision.
This is thanks to a data-driven understanding of how effective they can be for a specific patient.
Although this is not a new idea, thanks to recent technological advances, especially in the fields of genomics and AI,
is giving us a greater understanding of how different people’s bodies are better or worse equipped to fight specific diseases,
as well as how they are likely to react to different types of medications or treatments.
Throughout 2021 we will see new applications of predictive healthcare and
the introduction of more personalized and effective treatments to ensure better outcomes for individual patients.
Blockchain
Blockchain is a technology trend that is like a digital ledger
used to record transactions, but secured due to its encrypted and decentralized nature.
Continued investments from companies such as FedEx, IBM, Walmart and Mastercard
in recent months are likely to start showing results in the real world,
and if they prove their worth, could quickly lead to increased adoption by smaller companies.
If you want to follow the trail of these technologies, just keep an eye on the blog
and Two Reality‘s social networks, where we will keep you informed of the latest technological advances, especially in virtual reality, augmented reality and 360º videos,
to make your personal and professional life easier.
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