Information Technology in 2021
The Covid-19 crisis has significantly accelerated corporate digital transformation. As businesses rush to create modern digital capabilities in an attempt to construct resilience and sustainability for the post-pandemic environment, keeping up with fast-moving technological developments is essential. At EyeT Global, we’re making it a point to keep ahead of these developments so that our consumers don’t have to. 2020 was a silent year hijacked by a worldwide pandemic and vulnerable to massive shocks, the planet has undergone a great deal of heartache and even more confusion. Yet as a part of all this uncertainty, creativity and innovation have still undergone leaps and bounds. Organizations across the globe are driving their digital transformation programs at a rapid pace in an effort to reset and thrive.
For better or worse, we should all conclude that this year will be an unforgettable one. So, as 2020 comes to a close and we’re approaching 2021, here are some of the developments that are supposed to come along and define the new normal.
IoB
The Internet of Behaviors is an evolving movement that is proving to have some lingering influence. In short, IOB is the culmination of the compilation of evidence on how people behave with their technology. Through leveraging apps and other software modes, such as facial recognition, big data, and position monitoring, companies can detect behavioral events and control these data to further manipulate habits. With further 5G roll-outs planned in 2021, along with more development in LP-WAN-based networks, the volume of data collected and operated by companies is likely to increase. Thus, in order to distinguish themselves from the competition, more businesses will continue to rely on data processing technologies capable of managing information in a safe manner, as well as analyzing and drawing greater knowledge from their often unused operating data.
Cloud will reign
Even before 2020, cloud has already developed its significance for many companies by offering increased mobility, scalability, and cost-efficiency across industries.
This year, though, automation is starting to bring a layer of stability to various large organizations by making the abrupt changes in workplace behaviors less disruptive. This has sealed the role of cloud as an integral part of business technology even in the coming years. Cloud would also rise in importance as an ideal execution platform for modern and evolving innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), blockchain, and edge computing. As a result, making it an important part of the process of digital change is now going on for many other companies.
Intelligent networks
The COVID-19 pandemic is pushing companies to evolve constructively and dynamically in order to make changes in the pattern of work that they thought would take ages to realize in a matter of weeks.
Although it may have been a necessity to get them there, the effects of this mass undertaking have been eye-opening. Despite certain preconceptions, remote work has been largely a successful case. This new normal would place new pressure on businesses, as there will be a growing need for networks capable of serving hybrid architectures-be it cloud, on-site, or edge computing.
Automation
The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically raises research in digital systems (this year) such as AI, ML, and robotic process automation (RPA).
As a result, more enterprises are projected to become platform-driven digital businesses in the New Year, and the usage of these technologies will begin to grow. This would allow them to simplify regular, repeated, predictable activities, and unlock tactical advantages.
Cybersecurity
Increased use of technical tools opens networks and systems to security vulnerabilities such as the intrusion of individual users’ privacy and security risks to businesses. Higher cyber-attacks, along with improved consumer understanding of security, would increase the focus on cybersecurity. In addition, with more widespread and systemic networking, the need for cyber defense would grow from company to person.
Use of drones and robotics
Although drones and robotics have only been used in certain particular situations, such as monitoring, video, etc., the pandemic has intensified their use in other areas of human life. The pandemic has made the world aware of the importance of human experiences, especially in labor and consumer-focused industries such as shopping, restaurants, and manufacturing. Many distribution firms and restaurants in the US and China have launched contactless delivery systems where goods are picked up and dropped off at a predetermined location instead of from or in the hands of an individual.
Covid-19 has catalyzed a technical change of unparalleled scale across industries. In a race to develop powerful new digital capabilities and successfully re-engineer the future of tomorrow, businesses need creative partners and ideas like never before.
AI Engineering
Although artificial intelligence (AI) has been widespread and ubiquitous in the tech world for years, the concept of AI engineering is proving to be a revolutionary new trend. AI engineering gives clearer guidance to companies with their AI projects since about half of them never make it out of the test stage of development. This will find new applications in the coming years.
Hyper automation
Hyper automation is nothing fresh; however, what is still shifting about hyper-automation is its implementation and evolution. We’ve seen high demands for automating repetitive manual activities and workflows; so robotic process automation was the top technology that companies were focused on to do that. In 2021, this would incorporate innovations such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Machine Learning to process data more efficiently, boost efficiency and maximize overall productivity. Hyper Automation can now provide real-time, continuous information with enhanced analytics to further optimize activities and processes.
5G
5G has been rumored for a long time, but 2021 is the first year the new wireless infrastructure will be universal. While there are some misconceptions around 5G making rounds — a touch of media overhype you may say — there are real benefits that 5G will bring to businesses. We are sure this will unlock new worlds of applications and implementations in the coming years.
