2020 hit many of us with a lot of unforeseen events, and these events forced us to work differently. Not just that, but trends that had started the year prior gained more dominance this year.
Many of these technological trends have had a big impact on the way we work, evolving from growing computing power and technological discoveries over the years.
We will be taking you through five of these technological trends that are currently affecting work in 2020, and that you should take advantage of.
THE INTRODUCTION OF 5G
One of the current technology trends we will be looking at is the introduction of 5G. For reference, 5G is a 5th generation mobile network. The craze about 5G is that it is:
- Said to connect every device, including machines and objects together
- Aimed at delivering a higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds than its counterparts (1G, 2G, 3G, 4G)
- More reliable with a higher network capacity and ultra-low latency
- A mobile network that provides higher performance and exceptional efficiency
We can see why it is long-awaited. This technology kicked off in December 2019 by T-Mobile, with AT&T declaring that a widespread 5G launch will happen in 2020.
Tests have begun with this technology, and 2020 has seen both leading carriers (AT&T and T-Mobile) launch the tech in relatively low frequencies. This means that most users won’t experience the much-awaited 5G speed with the new launch.
While the 5G technological trend is slowly making waves this year, it will take five years to enjoy using a 5G mobile network.
REMOTE WORK SCHEDULES
Another trend that isn’t a new technology trend but has gained widespread prominence this year is remote work schedules. In the U.S alone, about 7 million employees were already working remotely before COVID-19.
This number has obviously increased because of the world pandemic. But, sites like upwork.com, fiverr.com, etc. helped solidify the ‘work from home’ trend.
In 2020, companies are embracing remote work schedules and seeing a lot of positive results from it. Not just that, but up to 99% of employees say they would like to work remotely even after the pandemic is over.
This technology trend has forced companies to re-examine their whole work model. It has also led them to design digital workspaces for their employees, that provide tools, knowledge, and applications their employees need to work remotely.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS HERE TO STAY
Next, we have AI as a service. Artificial Intelligence is simply the intelligence displayed by machines. Basically, any device that can mimic cognitive functions likened to the human mind can be called an AI machine. So, devices that carry out tasks like problem-solving and learning are AI machines.
We can’t ignore the enormous impact AI and machine learning has made in technology. Whether we like it or not, AI has become increasingly important in handling complex IT problems.
At work, here are a few ways AI is making a positive impact in the workplace:
- With the improvement in biometrics, security has become enhanced as passwords grow obsolete. Biometrics like facial recognition, fingerprints, etc. are more secure and have gained broad acceptance as devices become more capable of handling this AI service.
- Companies like Microsoft and Google are already using Artificial Intelligence to improve their cloud-based solutions.
- Artificial Intelligence and machine learning are used in data science to link events and trends together. This will help businesses make informed decisions.
But, we have to consider that for AI to keep on developing, companies have to provide resources to support their AI capabilities. This will take a few years to happen.
CYBERSECURITY IN WORK
A study at the University of Maryland showed that there is a cyber-attack every 39 seconds on average. Another research conducted by Juniper Research in 2019 implied that cyberattacks would cost companies over $2 trillion. So, it’s no surprise that Cybercrime Magazine projects an estimate of 6 trillion dollars on cybercrime damages in 2021.
These statistics encompass both big and small companies, so your company needs to take cybersecurity seriously to stay protected as a business.
There needs to be a significant change in the way corporations view cybersecurity. Your company can incorporate this trend by:
- Creating budgets that take cybersecurity into account
- Updating employees on cybersecurity news and updates
- Closely monitoring your WiFi network to ensure there is no security breach
- Educating staff members on the different cyberattacks and ways hackers can try to get into your company network
- Training staff members on creating strong passwords and avoiding falling into phishing scams
These are all excellent and simple ways to stay on top of your cybersecurity needs. And you can get some more information from articles from companies like Writing Judge.
BLOCKCHAIN & CRYPTOCURRENCIES
Lastly, we have blockchain and cryptocurrencies. A simple definition of this current technology trend is that blockchain is the technology that allows the existence of cryptocurrency. A cryptocurrency is a digital monetary means of exchange that uses encryption to control the creation of this currency and to verify the transfer of funds. One of the most popular known cryptocurrencies is Bitcoin.
With the birth of cryptocurrencies a few years back, blockchain technology experienced an enormous technology boom. This has led to its continued growth.
Some of the benefits blockchain and cryptocurrencies have for businesses include:
- Faster and more manageable payments, so companies will spend less time processing customer payments.
- A secure system, as blockchain data is extremely difficult to tamper with.
- Eradicated complications on currency conversion fees and unfavorable conversion rates.
- A safer data storage platform. Instead of companies storing their data in cloud servers that are vulnerable to cyberattacks, they can store them in blockchains. Blockchain security comes with functionality that helps companies store data across several locations, making it harder for hackers to gain access.
IN CONCLUSION
Technology is here to stay, and for your company to remain relevant, it needs to adapt to the current technology trends. The five technological trends mentioned in this article are an excellent place to start.
