Predicting the future is a notoriously certain way to look foolish, especially in the fast-moving world of technology. In a world where an advance in one area can almost instantly create paradigm shifts in business and whole new industries, looking into our crystal ball can be a little challenging to say the least.
That said, here at Codestone, we use our experience and industry knowledge to guide clients towards what is going to happen next. We believe if we focus on the needs of business within this rapidly advancing technological arena, we can make a few informed predictions about what the future will hold.
Here’s a look at some of the ways in which we believe business technology will develop in the future:
The Internet of Things (IoT)
We have seen a dramatic rise in the past few years with regards to the amount of smart technology connecting seamlessly to the internet in our houses. From 3D TVs and home automation systems to voice recognition devices such as the Amazon Echo, smart technology is steadily becoming a ubiquitous part of the household furniture. However, for the most part, this technology is yet to be seen in very many businesses. In the near future though, it will become part of the office technology landscape for sure.
Internet connected technology with voice activation will become integrated with most business applications and, in turn, this will change the ways teams are configured and work is completed.
Furthermore, the general look of the office could be set to change with Samsung predicting that in the future computer screens will be invisible, only becoming visible when needed.
Voice recognition
The technology of voice is growing at a spectacular rate. For decades, science fiction movies have imagined the future as humans talking to machines just as naturally as they speak to family and friends. While presently using your voice to interact with machines can be frustrating and littered with errors, voice and speech recognition is going to get ever more sophisticated, allowing it to become a part of your everyday business environment.
What’s more, computers won’t only be listening when addressed directly. Conference room technology, cars and wearable devices will all listen to conversations to understand and predict company requirements. While at this stage it can sound rather far-fetched, it’s likely to become the norm, since we all expect to have information at the our fingertips no matter where we are.
The growth of the cloud
With so much talk about the cloud it can feel like we are already at the pinnacle of what this technology can achieve, but there is still so much more to come. While this is no longer an emerging technology, there will be continued expansion and it’s going to be part of your business IT strategy sooner rather than later. It is reported that the number of internet connected devices is expected to reach 40 billion by 2020, resulting in huge amounts of data and a huge storage requirement.
Preparing for the future
A recent report by Ricoh Europe found that few industries will remain unchanged by technological innovations.
Research by the Economist Intelligence Unit says that 31% of business leaders are worried that new technologies, and not business needs, will dictate the future direction of a company and how it will be managed. More than 37% of those questioned also believe that by 2020 organisations will be unable to keep up with technology and, as such, will lose a competitive edge.
How Codestone can help you
The key to be ready for the changes in future technology is to start planning now and Codestone can provide you with the help and support to ensure that you have the best technology to enable your business to move forward. Contact us today to find out more – call us on 0370 334 4000.