Top 10 Technology Trends in 2021

There was certainly no predicting how the past year could have unfolded, especially in the technology world. What is next for this industry? Only time will tell, but here we have provided insight into our top 10 technology trends in 2021.

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1. Democratization of AI in 2021

Number one from our top technology trends in 2021 is Artificial Intelligence (AI), a technology that is closely related to computer science, consisting of scales of AI services that are used within government, telecommunications, retail, defence, healthcare, and many other industries. Artificial intelligence has always been considered as being on the back foot when it comes to technology; however, 2020 has seen coronavirus trigger an acceleration with this technology. The latest democratization of AI leaves infrastructure more available to a wider range of organizations and business clients. 2020 made it evident that there aren’t many individuals that require the knowledge or foundations to comprehend AI applications, nonetheless all companies and individuals should have the option to profit from AI power and knowledge. Today we see the expansion of this information and we can only hope it is spread out to a wider group. The global artificial intelligence services market has expected growth from $0.77 billion in 2020 to $0.96 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.7%. There is no questioning that Artificial Intelligence will continue to grow over the years to come. Its complexity and scale will continue to expand, and procedures are expected to be much simpler than ever before.

2. Headless tech

Headless technology is the storing, managing, and delivering of content on eCommerce website without a front-end delivery. In relation to any company this refers to the front end or the “head” of their website that has been separated from the back end for efficiency and presentation purposes. New developments in headless tech over the past year are seeing many large organisations move from traditional eCommerce websites to much more modern platforms. Amazon is a fine example of this. Efficiency is key within headless tech, many of its elements make it more beneficial for larger companies, this is what makes it so popular in 2021. Brand’s capability to update rapidly on the front end of their websites without having any effect on the back end is what is most important. Having this separation allows daily updates and changes to be made seamlessly, therefore you can deliver what your customers wants more quickly whilst remaining competitive. Headless tech is the future for a quick and easy checkout.

3. Privacy and confidential computing

2021 has seen companies now heavily rely more on public and hybrid cloud services, leaving it imperative to have data privacy in the cloud. Cybersecurity also has its own reputation for its vast protection and support but one area that supports its fluency is private and confidential computing. An area within technology that aims to address communications and data privacy. Confidential computing’s main agenda is to encrypt the entire computing process, not just the data alone, but also creating additional layers of security around sensitive information. Private and confidential computing has seen larger more advanced company’s helping to develop best practices by way of Confidential Computing Consortium(CCC). These include Google, Microsoft, Alibaba, IBM and VMware and others. Privacy and confidential computing technology is still in its primary stages and needs much more further development, but we are confident it will slide into mainstream in 2021, this is why it has made its way into our 2021 technology trends.

4. Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is the application of technologies, processes, and controls to protect secure systems, programmes, and networks from cyberattacks with its main aim is to protect against unauthorised exploitation of systems and reduce the risk of cyberattacks across all networks and technologies. Cybersecurity is among the top priorities for any company in 2021. Online workplace platforms heavily rely on effectiveness and reliability, trusting in their information and data remaining confidential and secure. When it comes to budget planning and allocation, cybersecurity must be prioritised. Any company’s future essentially depends on this kind of security. This leaves cybersecurity one of the most valued and wanted technologies in 2021.

5. Growth of Hybrid Cloud

Flexibility for the future is very important. The technology industry is ever-changing with new and more efficient ways of running programs are being released regularly. It is important that you have an IT infrastructure that can adapt to meeting your needs as they change. A hybrid cloud approach lets you match your actual data management requirements to the public cloud, private cloud, or on-premises resources that are best able to manage them. In its simplest form Hybrid cloud is a programme that is combined of a private cloud with one or more public clouds, allowing software enabling communication between the two. The IT platform incorporates multiple workloads sharing, managing across all clouds. Some of these databases may have more than one of both, public and private clouds. Many larger companies such as Netflix, Hulu, Uber, and Airbnb all rely heavily on hybrid cloud data storage, due to its ever-growing on-demand and pay-per-use features. These companies relying on hybrid cloud only expands on their efficiency and success. Unless your technology needs are fulfilled by a single public cloud or a standalone private cloud, why limit your options? The hybrid cloud approach allows you to hold the ultimate advantages of both worlds working simultaneously in 2021.

6. Old factors become interesting again

It is no secret that technology has seen some new and interesting developments over the past few years, especially when it comes to computing infrastructure; however, the era of simplicity is back. One piece of phone technology that has made a massive comeback in 2021 is the iconic flip phone. This age has seen people rely heavily on connectivity whilst still demanding simple more innovative ways of using technology. This has seen businesses incorporating smartphone features with the flip phone design. Combining these elements allows customers to have the simplicity they require whist still being exposed to modern day technology. Some slight adjustments have been made to the flip phone as we once remember it, one being that the new modern version includes a much larger screen, with the display being developed much further. For many years the increased use of smartphones has had a massive toll on people, and that includes the constant pressure to be available. The flip phone allows fragmented conversation, not to mention its size and durability. Taking its place at number 6 in our 2021 technology trends, the flip phone offers a sense of disconnect, from reality, and we can’t see it going nowhere anytime soon.

7. Customer Data platforms (CDP)

CDP or customer data platform has developed almost overnight as yet another must have that every marketing team looks to add to their technical utility belt. The CDP market is ramping up in 2021. Climbing from $740 million in 2018 up to a staggering $2.4 billion in 2020 and is predicted to hit $10.3 billion by 2025. CDP enables data integration, orchestration, data segmentation and that all important single customer view. Putting all these important data bundles in the hand of marketers. The compounding challenge that marketing teams face today is they want to deliver connected experiences to their audiences. Consumers expect more than a personalised experience, instead they want every brand interaction to be a connected experience that matches their actions and behaviours based on “in the moment data”. CDP allows this interaction and has changed the way technology works over the past few years.

8. 5G Technology makes waves

5G is the latest generation of mobile networks and it’s a huge step up from what we had available before. The jump from 3G to 4G networks was huge, 4G to 5G is many times greater and is almost difficult to comprehend. The appeal of 5G mostly boils down to its speed and insanely fast response times referred to as latency. Latency is the time it takes for devices to respond to each other over any wireless network. 3G networks have response time of around 100 milliseconds. 4G hovers around 30 milliseconds – while 5G networks predict latency figures as low as one millisecond- which is quicker than human visual processing. 5G signals operate over previously untouched radio frequencies. Part of the network operates in a band known as sub six which is the spectrum between 600 megahertz and 6 gigahertz (GHz) which is a spectrum that 4G LTE also shares. However only 5G can go above and beyond these frequencies into higher bandwidths which is what makes it so much better. 5G is a game changer in 2021 and it is only getting started.

9. Work from home outlasts covid 19

Covid-19 has presented many challenges for everyone over the past year, especially when it comes to work and income with millions of employees having adapted to work from home life and proved that working in a new and flexible environment can be a success. Workers have pleaded for increased work flexibility over the years, with no radical changes have been made until now. Working from home has become so successful during Covid-19 due to the development of many software programmes and smart work-from-home technologies. Some of these include Zoom, Microsoft teams and WebEx. Working from home would not be possible without the success of these applications and their convenient user interface. However, there has also been significant growth with the deployment of WFH devices. This has led to greater productivity for companies despite their employees being at home and it offers improved connectivity for anyone connecting to their office databases. Remote working has opened endless opportunities for employees and employers across the world especially in relation to migration. The possibility of working for a company from a different country was unheard of not so long ago, but now this is our reality in 2021. This way of working is still progressing, and changes will always be on the horizon, but it is certainly the future way of working in 2021 and beyond.

10. Quantum goes mainstream

Quantum computing is something you may not be familiar with or the extent of its progression over the past 12 months, but hands down it is one infrastructure that has seen unprecedented growth in 2021. Quantum computing has played a major role in the fight against coivd-19, with its main aim being to manage the spread of the disease with the use of technologies available. In addition, it has also played a major role in the development of possible vaccinations. With that said, this framework would not have itself such recognition without the support of many companies, some of these including Honeywell, Microsoft, AWS (Amazon web services and IonQ). There is certainty that other companies will discover the power of Quantum computing and the possibilities it offers, as Quantum promises new and exciting ideas for the future, with a range of developments happening every day.

These improvements include more secure communications and powerful computing. Aspects of technology, as Hybrid Cloud and Cybersecurity benefit from Quantum computing, so we see organisations investing in this new and exciting advancement. The future of Quantum computing lies in the hands of its investors, there is much uncertainty, but there is no questioning the opportunity it offers for businesses. Improvements have been made in its capability and there is a demand for businesses to invest in it. Experts believe that Quantum technology promises something unique and life changing. There is question on its “practicality”, but there’s hope for something game changing, taking its place at number 10 in our 2021 technology trends.

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