2017 was an explosive year for digital transformation. We saw the rise of threats such as WannaCry and Petya, movements on global data policies with America’s Net Neutrality fiasco and EU’s GDPR, and a more positive global reception of different technological disruptions on data, the cloud, and artificial intelligence.
We at Tech One Global is bracing ourselves again as we enter 2018. With that in mind, here are five new trends to watch out for to jumpstart your 2018:
Chatbots and Digital Transformation
Due to the advancements in consumer technology, the need for understanding huge chunks of data has been becoming more and more apparent. This results into artificial intelligence playing a far more integral role in digital transformation. This trend will most likely continue into 2018 and beyond as new products and tech surface in the market.
“When things go digital, they start following a new set of rules.” Dr. Khalid Al-Kofahi, Vice President, R&D and Head of the Center for AI and Cognitive Computing
Enter the chatbots, simply put, these are AI programs that operate within other platforms — mainly communication. Matthew Hartman, head of seed investment at Betaworks, said that the users of today are fed up using an app for every little thing. “They’re thinking, I don’t want to download yet another app, especially if it doesn’t need to be an app.”
The strength of a chatbot is that it’s not a separate program of its own. It’s an easy way of integrating a piece of tech into an app that the user is already accustomed to. This way, the tech does not alienate the user, drastically reducing the need for user adjustments.
We still don’t know how 2018 will unfold but we at Tech One Global are pretty sure that AI and Chatbot technology will jump to new heights. It would be a wise investment to adapt to these technologies as soon as possible.
Tech One Global’s resident AI, Cornelia, operates under the same principle: an easy-to-integrate AI helper. You can try her now by clicking here.
Blockchain
First there was the cloud, then there was IoT, and now we have blockchains. Forbes claimed last October 2017 that “blockchains and digital transformation go hand in hand.” A bold statement considering that digital transformation is pretty much everything nowadays in our networked world.
But what exactly is a blockchain?
Simply put, it’s a ledger system comprised of digitized transactions which everyone can freely access but can never alter. Blockchain technology solves some of the big issues of the digital economy: security, data preservation, and economic trust.
A technology serving as the backbone of the cryptocurrency market, Forbes predicts that this technology will become a centerpiece in changing the landscape of commerce as we know it. It removes the need for the middle man by giving the ledger of transaction to everyone involved in the market. A bold move that essentially solves access and transparency issues by just… giving it to everybody.
Even beyond currency, the technology is starting to spread out across all facets of technology particularly the cloud and IoT.
There are still many things left as a mystery with this emerging technology but with all the buzz surrounding it and with the world putting it in the lenses, it looks like it is here to stay… or at least, the effects of it.
Watch out for it.
Global policies on data
2017 also saw the movements of different governments trying to catch up with today’s standards on data. One manifestation is EU’s current movement for GDPR – a regulation that will potentially affect the whole process of processing, owning, and keeping data. Even with EU on its name, this regulation has the potential to affect the whole world by putting massive restrictions on solutions that target any resident of EU.
That includes cloud solutions, platforms, software, and services… basically everything.
The key idea to keep in mind is that GDPR targets data processors and controllers by giving them much more liability in the court of law. The burden of translating terms and providing access Is now on the provider’s shoulders. If you’re implementing solutions, you should keep in mind that it’s now your job to make the users understand what happens with their data.
Either that or a hefty amount of fines.
ROI on partnerships
2017 was the year you invested on digital transformation. It’s now 2018’s job to give you your precious ROIs. As always, changes are painful no matter the form. Thankfully, much of the transition pains are now done and you’re now ready to reap the benefits of investing with partners like Tech One Global.
You can be assured that the solutions and products that we offer (like Office 365, Enadoc, and Azure) follow the compliance policies of Microsoft and worldwide organizations. Expect safe voyage into the deeper parts of digital transformation as the pages of 2018 turn. We are here to help you navigate the unknown territories that are yet to come.
For more information and updates on anything IoT and Digital Transformation, be sure to stay tuned to Tech One Global.
About Tech One Global
For over a decade Tech One Global has been committed to offering client-oriented services focused on facilitating Digital Transformation — efficiency, innovation, and creativity in the field of Information Technology (IT) and Cloud Computing. The company provides diverse services which caters to both enterprise and SMB clients as well as the Public sector including software development, enterprise software deployment and licensing, document management, and knowledge process outsourcing.
