Over the last decade, the developments in technology have accelerated to a new height. We have witnessed numerous digital transformations that enhanced living style and user experience.
With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, all business sectors and consumers have adopted technology in various ways by necessity. For instance, if you are an owner of a brick-and-mortar business and you never considered online selling, chances are you’ve embraced the latest technology to reach your target customer and keep your business going.
Although the pandemic has caused severe disruptions in the economy and major industries, technology helped us do many things safely and efficiently and push our society forward. It’s now safe to say that technological advancement is now inevitable in our time.
Hence, let’s take a closer look at the top five tech trends that will significantly impact 2021.
1. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the significant technological breakthroughs of this century. Computer systems acting and reacting like humans have been a tech trend for quite some time now – the craze will only increase in 2021 and beyond.
AI is famously known for its programs such as image and speech recognition, forecasting, personal assistants, diagnosis, etc., to understand the surroundings better. Furthermore, AI-centric devices interpret interactions and detect a behaviour change to generate real-time data, predict services, and improve customer experience.
A report shows the AI market is likely to cross $190 billion by 2025 and over $57 billion in 2021. With such widespread, new job opportunities will open up for candidates in various sectors, including development, support, operations, testing, and so on.
2. Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality is another tech trend that focuses on creating an exceptional user experience. With over 171M VR users worldwide, the demand will grow 16X by 2022.
Although AR and VR are predominantly used in the gaming sector, other professionals experiment with these game-changing technologies. The US Army and Coast Guard ship captains have started using AR and VR with simulation software for training purposes. These technologies offer endless possibilities in the education, marketing, entertainment, and healthcare sector, to name a few.
Despite the setback due to the pandemic, the AR and VR market is expected to reach $209.2 billion by 2022, creating more opportunities for candidates with advanced tech knowledge and programming skills.
3. Internet of Things (IoT)
IoT has been a tech trend for many years – and remains a part of the trend. Experts estimate that by 2030, 50 billion IoT devices will be used worldwide, and the global market will hit $1.1 trillion in 2022.
All the latest gadgets, appliances, and cars are now built with internet connectivity, making exchanging information over the internet much quicker and easier. If you see closely, you are not unknown to the benefits of IoT.
From switching on your AC from your car to preheating the oven, we have gained a lot and have more to achieve in the coming years as well. Businesses can also adopt IoT to collect data and analyse for improving various business and customer-related activities.
4. Robotic Process Automation
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a technological application that helps to automate business processes. Be it processing transactions or responding to emails, RPA automates tedious, repetitive manual tasks.
According to market research, RPA software revenue is projected to grow over $1.89 billion in 2021. Despite the economic pressure, the market is expected to produce double-digit, and the average RPA prices may fall by 5% to 10%.
RPA improves process quality and productivity and increases speed, which are crucial factors to meet the demands. Experts forecast that more than 90% of large enterprises will adopt RPA by 2022 to drive business processes and reduce manual labour.
The RPA trend is likely to stay as it reduces the dependency on human labour for regular work and ensures cost reduction, and protects organisations from unforeseen challenges like the current pandemic.
5. Telemedicine
The healthcare sector has gone through drastic changes, mainly due to Covid-19. With the outbreak of the virus, the demand for telemedicine has also increased. Patients around the globe now are broadly dependant on virtual services and telecommunication methods to connect with doctors.
While experts predicted 70 million telemedicine users by 2020, the number hit close to a billion by the end of the year. Even though the Covid-10 vaccines are on the way, most people will continue to take advantage of virtual healthcare even in 2021.
A WHO report highlights telemedicine advancements using different trendy technologies – AI, robotics, advanced computing, and big data. Even if the ‘normalcy’ returns, telemedicine will continue to grow for quick, affordable, and sustainable medical solutions.
Conclusion
The Covid-19 pandemic taught us how to adapt to changes and what role technology plays in our lives. Most technologies are evolving and offer a promising future. Hence, experts believe advanced tech such as AI, machine learning, big data, and automation will create 9% new job opportunities in the US by 2025. If an individual wants to establish a flourishing career with a lucrative paycheck that ranges from $125,000 to $145,000 per year, adapting to these tech trends would be necessary to build a promising future.
