Blockchain, quantum computers, augmented analytics and artificial intelligence are just a few of the trends that will fundamentally shape the coming year. In its second edition of Top 10 Strategic Trends, the Gartner Research Institute has once again looked beyond the horizon and made some forecasts for the coming year. While the 2018 version focused strongly on strategic forecasts, the new edition focuses strongly on the technologies of the future.
“The future will be characterized by smart devices delivering increasingly insightful digital services everywhere,” David Cearley, Gartner Vice President.
Trend no. 1: Autonomous things
One often reads about autonomous cars or robots, but the further development of robotics opens up far more possibilities for automation. Today, the AI can already perform many tasks that have traditionally been performed by humans.
In automation, according to Gartner, there are five categories:
- Robotics
- Vehicles
- Drones
- Devices
- Agents
The tip for companies here is to test the possibility of AI-controlled objects, but remember that automation works best when used for narrowly defined purposes.
Trend No. 2: Augmented Analytics
The Data Scientist is a job description of the future. You have more and more data to analyze and interpret. The conclusions drawn from this have extreme effects on processes and business models. The Augmented Analytics processes are the next generation of data analysis. With automated algorithms, data scientists can analyze more complex data sets and create new hypotheses.
With the help of automated algorithms, hidden patterns can be identified more efficiently and objectively. In this way, unintentional distortions by the analyst are leased out. Gartner predicts that by 2020 more than 40% of data science tasks will be automated, resulting in increased productivity and the ability to gain data insight without training in data science or analytics.
Trend No. 3: AI-driven development
The first two trends alone show that artificial intelligence will have a high relevance in the coming years. AI-controlled development encompasses tools, technologies and processes. This trend is evolving from an application for data scientists to a solution that works independently of developers and experts.
Trend No. 4: Digital Twins
A digital twin is a digital representation that reflects a real object, a process or a system. The digital twins are used especially in the Internet of Things, because they improve decision-making in the company. This is done by providing information about maintenance and reliability, insight into the performance of a product, data about new products and increased efficiency.
Trend No. 5: Empowered edge
Edge computing is a topology that places information processing and content collection and delivery closer to information sources, with the idea that maintaining local traffic reduces latency.
“Technology and thinking will shift to a point where the experience will connect people with hundreds of edge devices”
By 2028, Gartner expects a steady increase in the embedding of sensor, memory, computing and advanced AI capabilities in Edge devices.
Trend No. 6: Immersive technologies
By 2028, technologies such as Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Mixed will fundamentally change media usage. The immersive experiences are not only something for the entertainment industry, but also for companies. Until 2022, so Gartner, 70% of the enterprises will experiment with immersive technologies and 25% will be used in production.
Trend no. 7: Blockchain
Blockchain brings confidence back into the corporate world. It allows companies to seamlessly track transactions and no longer be confronted with dubious parties. This not only reduces business problems in all industries tremendously, but also has an impact on all business areas.
Pure blockchain models are currently still very immature and many companies find scalability difficult, but it is a clear recommendation that companies should start evaluating the technology today. Gartner’s report predicts that the blockchain will have a business value of $3.1 trillion by 2030.
Trend no. 8: Intelligent rooms
An intelligent space is a physical or digital environment in which people and technology-based systems interact in increasingly open, networked, coordinated and intelligent ecosystems. With the increasing integration of new technologies into everyday life, the already described trends AI, Edge Computing, Blockchain and the digital twins are leading this trend as individual solutions become intelligent spaces.
Trend No. 9: Digital ethics and data protection
In a data society, the value of data is increasing. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the relevance of their personal data. For this reason, data protection and ethics will soon become a central issue for both users and companies.
Trend No. 10: Quantum computers
Quantum computers are an exponentially scalable and highly parallel computing model. In contrast to the classical computer, the quantum computer impresses with its incredible speed and computing power.
Applications in practice range from personalized medicine to the optimization of pattern recognition. According to Gartner forecasts, the companies will be in the exploration phase until 2022 and will later start using the technology.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator
