2019 promises to be a breakout year for a variety of technology concepts fermenting in their development stages in recent years. Companies can expect to see these newer technologies offer real, practical tools to help employees become more productive, as well as increase large scale corporate accuracy and efficiency levels. Both consumers and businesses alike will also appreciate the faster speeds some of these new collaboration concepts offer as well.
Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence
There are so many areas where machine learning, artificial intelligence concepts and new technologies are going to change the world of computing, cognitive technologies as well as the way in which companies conduct their business. One practical way is in the area of video communication. Envision a video meeting among remote workers spread all over the globe. In the background, video communication software with built-in AI features is:
- Automatically recording meeting participants
- Taking notes
- Identifying tasks
- Scheduling future meetings
In the not so distant future, meeting participants will come to completely rely on this AI virtual assistant running discretely in the background. Participants will keep track of and serve up meeting details, by way of a simple voice command.
Blockchain Technology
Although blockchain has recently received some negative press due to wild fluctuations in cryptocurrencies, there are more practical uses for this type of technology. Walmart plans to use private blockchain technology to help track their food supplies. One practical example — using blockchain as a tool to track down the source of food-borne illnesses. In one recent test of their blockchain system, Walmart was able to identify the farm source for a specific group of mangos within seconds. Using their traditional system, it took seven days to identify the same farm.
5G
5G is rolling out in select cities in the upcoming year. Some of the practical ways in which this lightning fast technology will influence the future can be found in industries such as health care, the airline industry and retail. By increasing the speed of information delivery, companies hope to see dramatic improvement in their ability to provide better customer service. Examples include decreased wait times and increased efficiencies in supply vs demand.
Wi-Fi 6
This next generation Wi-Fi technology will begin to appear on devices sometime in 2019. It promises to be more efficient, with a lower power draw thus offering the benefit of a longer battery life on smart devices and PCs. The new standard will be identified simply as Wi-Fi 6, rather than its cryptic technical identifier, 802.11ax. The new identifier is much more user-friendly and allow consumers to easily identify which devices are compatible with the speedier Wi-Fi technology.
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