Member Article

What can we expect from the tech industry in 2018?

Adam Winwood of Arden Group discusses the technological innovations we can expect to see during 2018

Our industry – like many today – is one which moves very quickly. New innovations are constantly being developed which have the potential to change how we do things day-to-day, how we interact with each other and how businesses operate. Similarly, they also change how we respond to challenges like threats to data security. So as we enter 2018, let’s explore some of the most influential trends we can expect to become a reality.

Charging in the blink of an eye One trend which has the tech industry abuzz right now is quick-charging batteries which have the potential to charge smartphones and other personal devices in a matter of minutes. Innovations like this – which are likely to reach the market in 2018 – could trigger the development of quick-charging batteries in other realms. Electric vehicles, for instance, the benefits of which we’re already beginning to see, could benefit greatly from this technology. A car that can run for more than 150 minutes on a 5-minute charge would make electric vehicles a viable alternative to the traditional car – something which hasn’t been possible until this point.

The challenge here is to develop current technology to a point where it can be produced on a large enough scale to be affordable for everyday applications.

Augmented reality will flourish After the overwhelming success of Pokémon Go in 2016 – and a Harry Potter game soon to follow – we’re all familiar with AR. Now, Apple has launched its own system which makes the technology accessible for the masses. Having such a large platform will support the scalability of AR for developers. This means that, just as most businesses have developed their own apps in recent years, these could be elevated to include AR. IKEA, for instance, has run with the technology to help customers visualise furniture in their homes, utilising the technology to create an immersive, commercially-driven AR experience.

Once we’ve fully realised the value of AR’s applicability on our smartphones, it’s only a matter of time before we begin to see it embedded into our everyday lives in a variety of forms. The hololens from Microsoft, for instance, enables us to interact with holograms in the world around us and we’re sure to see more developments on this front in 2018.

Cloud will continue to grow Businesses are quickly becoming accustomed to the simplicity and high-performance capability offered by the cloud. In recent years we’ve seen this change how employees work, with a greater proportion of the individuals working remotely. Despite being in different physical locations, the need to work collaboratively is more important than ever.

This year, we’ll see the rise of services like Horizon which will be extremely valuable to our customers, bringing with it a host of benefits. Phone networks across multiple sites will be seamlessly connected, providing a scalable system which can grow as the business does. MiCloud also takes cloud services to the next level, better supporting the flexible working practices of today’s businesses by offering an easy-to-use system with greater mobility and reliability – crucial for the demands of modern business.

Focus on security Stemming from the increased use of digitised solutions like the cloud, security will move further into the spotlight in 2018. 2017 was the year the NHS was severely disrupted by WannaCry and a number of high profile companies had their networks infected by by Petya, and barely a week has since passed where cybersecurity has been out of the news. With such frequent attacks and the introduction of the GDPR legislation later this New Year, ensuring data security will be an ongoing concern. But with cyber attacks now far more sophisticated, devising solutions requires a new way of thinking.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matthew Jones .