With 2019 now underway, the tech community is on high alert for the latest, greatest and most promising tech innovations on tap for the coming year and beyond. These are the tech trends that everyone — from IT entrepreneurs to YouTube influencers and tech junkies — will pay close attention to, while savvy business owners will pick and choose over which tech tools can keep them ahead of the competition. Before the fun begins, here’s a sneak peek at the most-talked-about, most intriguing tech trends that are promising to revolutionize the way we do businesses.
For several years now, 5G has been the equivalent of a tech unicorn — a mythical creature that’s whispered about, but not really believed in or understood. In 2019, the game has officially changed, as 5G is slated to debut as one of the year’s biggest tech trends. With carriers running out of LTE capacity (especially in major metropolitan areas), 5G has become an absolute necessity. In essence, 5G will add large amounts of spectrum to bands that haven’t heretofore been used for commercial broadband traffic. In fact, according to some experts, private companies might even start replacing their WiFi with 5G, thanks to its ability to provide virtually instant connectivity between network devices. As broadband improves, mobile devices will play a bigger role in e-commerce sales, and 5G should have a significant impact on this trend.
According to a global report by Go People, an on-demand delivery/courier service, 65 percent of retailers will provide same-day services beginning in 2019. While Amazon led the way with this innovation in 2018, Walmart and Target have closely followed in what promises to be one of the year’s most popular tech trends among consumers. In particular, Target has recently announced that same-day delivery will now be available for all of its major product categories.
The supply chain technology that enables same-day delivery is already experiencing a major impact as delivery services and couriers embrace speed as the next “evolutionary step” in parcel/delivery logistics — an all-important step when it comes to increased customer demand for instant gratification.
According to a recent tech trends report from Salesforce, 76 percent of consumers expect companies to universally understand their individual expectations and needs, while 53 percent of consumers expect company offers and deals to be personalized. And now, thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), marketers can utilize the power of personalization more effectively than ever before. By using AI tools, marketers can unlock the data they need to reach and engage customers on a more personal level, both intellectually and emotionally. This higher level of personalization will, in turn, increase consumer trust, loyalty and retention.
Within the past two years, companies like Walmart, UPS and Tyson have led the way in implementing augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) tools in their employee training programs; and according to industry experts, other companies are now following suit.
Now, thanks to the recent appearance of more-affordable VR headsets on the market, even smaller-sized businesses are seeing the target benefits of AR/VR training — benefits that include lower costs and more-effective communication, as well as better employee retention. As demand for these training tools increases, the virtual reality market worldwide is slated to top $33 billion by 2024.
The use of augmented analytics — commonly referred to as machine learning — is already familiar to marketers who rely heavily on statistics; but according to the tech trends experts at the Gartner Symposium in late 2018, machine learning will soon be implemented in mainstream company management. As augmented analytics tools become more simplified and user-friendly for employees, they’ll be used in everyday operations as well. Already, credit card companies are using machine learning to detect fraud, while insurance companies are using these same tools to identify risk models. Toward this end, as machine learning tools become more streamlined for mainstream use, their uses will be optimized in a wider variety of tech trends and applications.
The next several years will see the appearance of a number of components that belong under that wondrous tech umbrella known as the Internet of things (IoT). Among these innovations, one of the most intriguing is the digital twin — an exact, digitally-produced replica of an item, product, service or process. These true-to-life digital models will be implemented in all kinds of testing, modeling and monitoring simulations, during which data will be collected via IoT sensors. As with every other component of the IoT, the primary purpose of digital twin creation will be to collect data. According to tech trends researchers at the recent Gartner Symposium, by 2020, billions of digital twins will be in existence for research, development, manufacturing and marketing purposes.
As companies try to engage more with customers, AR and VR tools will be used to create a more-immersive user experience for consumers. These AR and VR tools will include environmental sensors, appliances, computing devices and wearables that are capable of engaging the human senses. The results can revolutionize perception and interaction by creating a whole new, fully-immersive computer environment.
For small and mid-size business owners, the emergence of these latest-and-greatest tech trends can be overwhelming. As technology progresses, it can help your business progress too — but only if you’re tech-savvy enough to identify which innovations will be most effective for your company. That’s why it’s crucial to hire an IT service provider that can navigate you through the latest tech trends.
For business owners in Southwest Florida and Tampa Bay, Entech provides a team of dedicated IT experts who can offer your company a full range of managed IT services, from IT solutions and tools to cost management, long-term tech strategies and tech support. These services also include 24/7 monitoring to detect and identify any potential infrastructure issues, so you can be proactive against data breaches and loss.
By helping you connect with, design, refine and monitor your IT infrastructure, Entech gives you the freedom you need to focus on running your company the way you want to, without worrying about system breakdowns or weaknesses. For more information, contact Entech to find out how our managed IT services can provide the solutions you need to help your company succeed in 2019 and beyond.