Technological advancements all over the world are changing and growing at an exponential rate, bringing in new innovations. Most times, yearly predictions of technological innovations become outdated even before they are published.
For IT professionals to remain relevant, they will need to learn new skills and be able to accurately predict technologies that will be relevant globally. Here are 15 IT trends that you should look out for in 2019.
1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial intelligence refers to computer systems made to imitate human intelligence and carry out tasks such as recognition of images, speech or patterns, and decision making. AI carries out these tasks faster and more accurately than humans. AI is found in navigation systems, streaming services, smartphone assistance, ride-sharing apps, etc. It can also be used to schedule trains, assess business risks, and improve energy efficiency, among others.
AI is the major cause of huge changes in business operations. It reconstructs industries using advanced technologies and software. We believe that 2019 will be the year top firms will incorporate AI into their organizations.
AI is one aspect of what we broadly call automation. Other branches of AI such as Machine Learning have also been developed.
2. Machine Learning
Machine Learning is a subsidiary of Artificial Intelligence. In Machine Learning, computers are programmed to learn to do things they have not been programmed to do. They learn by discovering patterns from data.
Machine Learning is further divided into neural networks, natural language processing (NLP) and deep learning. Professionals who are skilled in Machine Learning software are in high demand. This is because of the rapid adoption of Machine Learning in different kinds of industries. Machine Learning apps are used for data analytics, data mining, and pattern recognition.
3. Autonomous Things
Autonomous things, such as robots, drones, and autonomous vehicles, make use of AI to carry out tasks. Their activities will go beyond previously planned or rigid programming. Also, they make use of AI to exhibit advanced behaviours and interact with their surroundings and people around them.
4. Blockchain Technology
Blockchain Technology is a much-talked-about IT trend that has great potential in 2019. Also known as Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), it is a peer-to-peer sharing network between members of a decentralized network. It forms a distributed database with a digital ledger of transactions and contracts. It also has a constantly growing list of records called blocks, each of them containing a timestamp and a link to the previous block.
5. Better Approach To Privacy And Security
The era of rapid technological advancements has also served as a catalyst for hacking techniques. The Internet and IoT gadget are very vulnerable to hacks. In 2019, we are looking towards technology that will improve privacy and security online.
CARTA (Continuous adaptive risk and trust assessment) is an efficient way of ensuring privacy and security. It is based on a continuous evaluation of the potential risks of every business situation.
6. The Internet of Things (IoT)
Internet of Things (IoT) is the connection of physical objects to the global web via wired and wireless communication channels. Intelligent things are everyday devices capable of smarter and better interactions with people and the environment. They operate semi-autonomously or autonomously in uncontrolled real-world conditions without human interference.
7. Robotic Process Automation
Very much like Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, RPA is used for automating jobs. RPA is simply said to be the use of software to automate business processes such as interpreting applications, processing transactions, dealing with data, and even replying to emails. RPA is a major IT trend to pay attention to in 2019. It offers plenty of career opportunities, such as developer, project manager, business analyst, solution architect, and consultant.
8. Virtual Reality (VR) And Augmented Reality (AR)
Virtual Reality (VR) immerses the user in an environment, while Augment Reality (AR) enhances their environment. VR has majorly been used in games, as well as for training – i.e., VirtualShip, a simulation software used to train U.S. Navy, Army and Coast Guard ship captains.
Both VR and AR have great potential in training, education, and real estate, among others.
9. Deep Learning Will Be Faster And Better
Deep Learning is faced with certain challenges, especially with data collection and computations. Hardware is now being developed to speed up deep learning experiments like the new GPUs with a greater number of cores and a different form of architecture.
In the next three to five years, deep learning will shorten the development time of software solutions from several months to several days. It will integrate existing systems with client data into a single information pool. Startups will also continue to develop new ways for gathering and computing data, further reducing costs.
10. The Role Of Chief Data Officers Will Grow Extensively
The Chief Data Officers (CDOs) and other senior data professionals are becoming more involved in the management of top organizations, changing their method of operations to data management. The CDO position is quite new, yet it is the driving force behind innovation and differentiation.
11. Privacy And Ethics
These two are very complicated trends areas. Most people enjoy e-commerce, yet they are unaware that e-Commerce is governed by data collected from customers’ online behavior. How important is privacy to the average shopper? This trend is something to look at in 2019, especially for customer-driven economies like the U.S.A.
12. Quantum Computing
Very little is known about quantum computing. It is not a trend yet, but it is one we should look out for.
13. Wireless Technology (5G)
Wireless technology 5G provides faster means of communication. The rapidly expanding interconnectivity of data requires extra fast wireless connection. 2019 is the year we should look forward to in terms of 5G wireless network.
14. Prescriptive Analytics
Prescriptive analytics can be considered the last stage in understanding a business. It offers recommendations on how to take advantage of predictions. It makes use of several algorithms and data modeling techniques so we can have a well-rounded understanding of the business environment. Prescriptive analytics make use of predictive analytics and descriptive analytics to procure workable solutions to problems.
15. Edge Computing
In edge computing, data is stored, processed and displayed at the edge of the network beyond centralized facilities. Edge computing is now the next best thing in terms of data storage.