We can’t keep up with technology. This is becoming a fact. The rate at which everything is advancing has reached the boiling point that can only be compared to light speed. In this sort of environment, it is hard to pinpoint exactly what trends are coming our way without sounding obsolete before the listing ends. However, every business owner and CEO worth their salt will look ahead and try to assess what the immediate future, in this case, the other half of 2017, holds in store for business technology trends.
Big Data is still a thing
Big data has been a buzzword for quite some time now. It can be defined as an incredibly large data set, so complex and big that the traditional data processing software can’t possibly deal with it. However, even though big data was defined twenty years ago, 2017 might be the year that marks the beginning of the widespread use of these data sets. The thing is, cloud services make harnessing all this data a breeze. We used to see software designed specifically for big companies to handle big data, but now, we are witnesses to the emergence of services such as Canopy Labs, InsightSquared, etc., that turned this into every man’s tool for harnessing big data.
AI is here
Let’s talk about the big one – Artificial Intelligence is speculative fiction no more. Automation, in general, has been an integral part of modern business for quite some time now, and this will hardly change. Automated customer service and more advanced AI and chatbots that are handling a variety of contexts with increased efficiency will only get better. Our smartphones and tablets are also gaining increased automation. This connection between employees bodes well for various businesses, as it shows we’ll be able to save more time, which is a precious commodity in commerce.
3D printing
Just like big data is seeing widespread use even by smaller, private businesses and individuals, so is 3d printing equipment slowly falling into the hands and expressive imagination of vox populi. Just a decade ago, the prices of 3D printing were astronomical. Nowadays, we are looking at the mass production of consumer-grade 3D printers that are affordable and feasible.
You can even find a 3D printer for $300. This can shift the “product” paradigm in a way we’ve never seen before. Why would you buy something if you can print it? Well, printing material itself costs money and the market will, at least in part, probably shift from physical products to designs and digital 3D models. There is also a possibility that 3D printing will revolutionize medicine and address the shortage of organs for transplantation.
The internet of things
It’s interesting to see how this term – the Internet of Things – caught on so fast, yet the concept itself isn’t nearly as implemented in reality as one would expect. Interoperability will always have its glitches and tiny problems that need additional patchwork. We tend to expect the product is, hypothetically, in perfect condition, yet that is never the case. Now imagine a number of products interacting, digitally.
It’s bound to be an organic online environment that is subject to constant evolution, yet automation of this technological harmony seems to be in our grasp. A HID reader as an added layer of security combined with digital locks, light sensors, music, TV, and pretty much any digital aspect of your household you can imagine, will become our present in 2017.
Synthetic food
Here’s a controversial topic – synthetic food. People are pulling their hair out over the difference between organic and GMO, yet this has just been introduced to our table. The feverish race to create this sort of food is not hiding behind some nefarious, insidious reason – the world is getting more populated and that’s a fact.
Companies like Beyond Meat are working on making synthetic food more appetizing, but the problem is the long-term exposure of the general populace to this food – you don’t even have to imagine how the majority of the population would blame this synth meat for their forthcoming health issues. In spite of this, synthetic food has gained momentum in 2016, and the ways in which it can impact business are profound – after all, the food business and agriculture are cornerstones of civilization.
There’s a lot each of us can expect from 2017. Technologically, the breakneck speed of development makes it seem like every day is Christmas, yet we tend to lose our focus. It’s easy to get disoriented in the neon haze and distracted by various indulgent gadgets that don’t mean too much for the type of business you are interested in. Yet, in a way, this is more than fair – the gadgets are in the business of distraction anyway.
