The IT industry has never moved at a faster rate than now. With cloud computing becoming mainstream and faster internet speeds more common, businesses are finding it is easier and cheaper to store more data, allowing remote working to become increasingly easier for staff.
As 2018 starts drawing to a close, Penta looks into its crystal ball to see what the future has in store.
AI to create more jobs than it cuts
While the idea of robots taking over from humans is nothing new – car production lines have long favoured robots, as they can work 24 hours a day, do not demand rest breaks and do not take home a salary – the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has been growing steadily in recent years.
Research company Gartner believes AI will create 2.3 million new jobs while removing 1.8m roles by 2020. But what does this mean in practical terms for a stressed IT manager? Perhaps, instead of having staff respond to your business queries, a chatbot could answer, with a (human) manager taking on any questions the bot cannot solve.
The firm says: “Individual apps are out. Bots are in. In the ‘post-app era’ chatbots will become the face of AI and bots will transform the way apps are built. Traditional apps, which are downloaded from a store to a mobile device, will become just one of many options for customers.”
The cloud will level the playing field
As more businesses harness the power of the cloud, start-ups will be able to speed up their development, compared with larger rivals. While bigger companies will have to jump through many hoops to adopt new technology, a company being founded today will have the advantage of starting from a blank canvas.
Mobile banking to be more popular than online banking
With the rise of the smartphone in recent years, online banking has soared in popularity, and as people are increasingly working on the move it stands to reason that mobile banking will eventually overtake face-to-face banking at a local branch or accessing your account from your desktop.
Financial services analyst CACI believes the tipping point will occur next year.
Anne Boden, chief executive of mobile-only Starling Bank, says: “As mobile payments rapidly become more commonplace and the big banks struggle to keep pace with the technology, I would not be at all surprised to see banking apps overtake online banking by next year.”
Cyber threats to businesses to grow
It is not all rosy, however. As businesses increasingly move from bricks and mortar to the cloud, the risk of falling victim to online cybercrime is likely to grow, with criminals attempting to exploit any vulnerabilities.
According to the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, one threat is theft from the cloud which the NCSC argues too many businesses ‘put their faith in’.
Ciaran Martin, head of the NCSC, said: “The last year has seen no deceleration in the tempo and volume of cyber incidents, as attackers devise new ways to harm businesses and citizens around the globe.”
Security
In an increasingly online-targeted world, IT security is becoming increasingly important for all businesses. And with Penta’s award-winning range of security systems, you can ensure your business does not fall foul of the emerging threats.
Changing face of technology
Banking changes
Mobile banking to overtake other methods
Money Observer
Growing trend of cyber threats
Businesses facing more dangers online
The Guardian
Rise of the bots
Top tech trends for 2019
Gartner