It’s hard to believe that we are already halfway through 2023. But time never stands still, and neither does technology. We’ve already been seeing trends developing and emerging, and we’ve been keeping our finger on the pulse of IT trends so that you don’t have to. Let’s take a look at a few of the advances in technology that you can and should be putting to use for business, and those recent trends in the IT industry that you should be paying close attention to.
What Are Upcoming IT Trends
One phrase above any other has been having a massive impact on IT trends in 2023, and we don’t expect it to be getting any less popular as the year progresses. From deep learning to generative AI, apps to security tools, AI has been one of the most widely discussed and widely adopted of the emerging trends in IT that we’ve seen so far this year. But what are the current trends in the IT industry, and what are some of the use cases for AI that have been coming to light?
• AI And Deep Learning
Artificial intelligence has definitely been one of the top IT trends over the past decade, and over the past year in particular. But more than that, the uses that AI has for deep learning have become especially important and relevant for businesses.
Deep learning is all about using AI to analyse complex data patterns, providing companies with meaningful insights into their markets, their customer bases, and their services, and allowing them to make better decisions driven by data. Deep learning has also gained traction within the finance sector in particular, as it enables better fraud detection and prevention, helping finance businesses to boost their overall security.
• Generative AI
We’ve witnessed platforms like ChatGPT and AI image generators becoming some of the most trending technology in the IT industry over the past few months. As recently as May 2023, Adobe released a beta version of Photoshop focusing on creating graphics using AI enhancements. This type of generative AI is changing the way that we interact with the web, and the way that we create images, articles, and more. Businesses that aren’t embracing these developments are swiftly falling behind.
Whether they’re helping you to generate more effective communications and e-mail subject lines, are boosting your social media efforts, or are helping your teams to broaden their horizons on a vast range of subjects, generative AI tools are helping companies around the world to work and operate in smarter ways.
• AI Powered Apps
There are steps that you can take as a business to adopt AI and use it to your advantage, and then there are the steps that companies like Microsoft are taking to incorporate deep learning and generative AI into their existing apps.
Just look at Microsoft Copilot for the perfect example. Not only can Copilot integrate with apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to make the process of writing documents, analysing data, and creating captivating presentations far easier and more effective, but the recently announced Business Chat functionality is going to change the way that we share information, collaborate on projects, and manage our schedules.
• Blockchain: The Currency Of The Internet
Blockchain and cryptocurrencies are not new developments, but they have seen increased adoption in the first half of this year. Businesses around the world are also looking at new ways of adopting Blockchain to further their modernisation and fast-track their growth. The transparency and mobility that Blockchain allows for in terms of asset management and transfers is seeing financial institutions in particular embracing Internet money and adopting it into their services and offerings in unique ways.
• Edge Computing
Cloud solutions offer businesses a wide range of benefits but one of the potential downfalls to cloud services is the time it can take for data to be transferred before it can be processed or analysed. This is seeing a rise in what is known as edge computing – bringing your data closer to where you are, reducing the time it takes to cache or access it.
More and more businesses are taking a hybrid approach to their data storage and processing, embracing the flexibility and accessibility that cloud services provide, while maintaining local caches that reduce latency and make processing of data quicker and more efficient. Together these two approaches ensure that your business has access to real time data for decision making, and a centralised hub for that information to be processed and stored long term.
• Quantum Computing
Quantum computing has been gaining traction as a search term over the past few months, but the applications for SMEs are still shrouded in mystery. It’s not a platform that most small businesses are ever going to be able to adopt, so is it something that they should even concern themselves with?
Yes. Artificial intelligence may be the kind of technology that changes productivity and efficiency for business applications, but quantum computing is the kind of technology that’s going to change the world as we know it. The potential applications that it has for science and research on their own make it the technology to watch over the coming years.
• Endpoint, Discovery And Response In Cyber Security
Cybersecurity has shifted over the past decade. Where we used to look at viruses as being our greatest concern, and antivirus software as our greatest protector, we have realised over the last few years that the threats facing businesses need more advanced solutions. EDR looks beyond the signatures that traditional antivirus software relies on, analysing behaviours instead, and leveraging AI to proactively protect your users, your devices, and your business against a wider array of threats.
• VR And Augmented Reality
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) often get lumped together when businesses look at the technological landscape. But where VR has taken a step back over the past year, with companies like Facebook reducing their investment and commitment to the Metaverse, Augmented Reality still has real potential for businesses to differentiate themselves.
VR is an immersive experience that takes you outside of reality, but AR complements the reality that you find yourself in. And businesses like Mobelli are using this to their advantage, allowing customers to visualise the retailer’s furnishings in their own spaces through adaptive Augmented Reality. The creativity for business applications is practically endless.
How Can You Stay Current With The Latest Technology Trends?
Because technologies are constantly shifting and changing, your business needs to stay up to date with major IT trends to ensure that you’re implementing the right technologies to see you achieving and exceeding your goals. There are a few different ways that you can go about keeping yourself (and your team members) current on the latest IT industry trends, advances and best practices:
1. Follow Tech News
There are plenty of online sources that are discussing the latest developments in technology. If you’re based in South Africa, platforms like MyBroadband and Business Insider should be your go-tos for the latest tech news. And, if you’re heading over to MyBroadband, why not check out some of the recent articles that we’ve published in the MyBroadband Press Office on the value behind Managed IT Services.
2. Divide, Share And Conquer Knowledge Gathering
Every human in your company is going to have different ideas for how they can put technology to the best use for your business, which is why having only one person stay up to date on the latest IT trends is certainly not the most effective use of their time. A better approach is to divide and conquer – having each of your humans commit themselves to following the latest tech trends and reporting back on ways that your business can be taking advantage of them.
3. Attend Events And Meetups
Events, expos and webinars are fantastic ways of keeping yourself updated on technological advancements. They give you the opportunity to see the latest developments in IT, and to gain a greater understanding of the value that they could have. Better still, there are always webinars and demonstrations available to help you understand new ways of using your existing technologies to further your business without any extra investment being required.
4. Subscribe To The Solid Systems Newsletter
Every month, we put together a Technology For Humans emailer which looks at some of the latest tech and IT trends, addresses issues that your business may be facing, and includes tips and tricks from the SOLID team to work more productively, efficiently, securely, and humanly in today’s modern world. Because when it comes down to it, we believe that being human and spending your time doing the things that you love is critical to being successful, and we love finding new ways of using technology to help you do just that. Subscribe today to get these tips, and the latest SOLID articles, delivered straight to your inbox.
