TOP TECH TRENDS OF 2021 FOR YOUR BUSINESS
What a difference a year makes. When it comes to the technology we use for business, innovations come quickly and trends change rapidly. Knowing what’s on the horizon and what to look for can be the difference between being ahead of the curve or being left in the dust to play catch up. In 2020 we dealt with a world changing event. As we come out of it in
the second half of 2021, what should you be looking for when it comes to tech? What are some trends that can help your business?
AUTOMATION/AI
Now, this may sound a little RISE OF THE MACHINES to you, but automation is a powerful tool that can help you both run your business and manage your data. In the field of analytics and finance, many are turning to automation that is capable of what is known as machine learning to do the more arduous tasks that can bog down employees. Take Google for example, who has implemented a machine learning system into their award-winning Google Analytics software, which gives businesses not only insight, but helpful tips on how to maximize their adspend, and their websites in the future. Many factories and shipping facilities have also begun to use automation for more dangerous tasks, as well as tracking
both inbound and outbound shipments. Major institutions such as hospitals as well as other medical companies can use AI to predict the needs of the populace, from beds to medication. What can this mean for you and your employees? Well, while it may seem that the machines would take the place of the employees, it’s been found that that isn’t really the case. In fact, what many see is this allows the employees who would have to focus on the mundane, tedious tasks, more time and creative energy to strategize and implement new ways to grow the business, market, sell, ship and take better care of their customers!
EDGE COMPUTING
In what many are calling the evolution of the cloud, edge computing takes some of the processes used by the cloud and puts them back in the user’s space. This enables the cloud to process faster, as it reduces the amounts of long-distance transmissions needed to execute. The edge is where the device, be it the user’s computer, router, phone etc, communicates with the internet. By doing this, it cuts down on what is referred to as latency, or the delay as the user’s device communicates with the server that the cloud is hosted on, which in some cases is across the world. Latency issues can affect everything from your SEO to customers choosing your product or service. After all, we live in an era where 2-3 seconds of lag time is considered slow. Edge computing could be a game changer for everything from medical devices to self-driving cars, and even the office, with it aiding in video conferencing as well! What’s more, it’s also more cost effective, as it cuts down on bandwidth charges. 5G Leaps in technology are not merely limited to things such as robots and home computers. 5g, or the 5th generation of mobile wifi, presents a game changer for many businesses. In the past, while your phone or tablet may have been more powerful than your home PC, today, things are much different with the advent of 5G. It is the fastest mobile data has ever been able to be sent or received, which means that businesses can rely on a mobile customer base more and more. Your websites can be more robust to mobile users and tablet users. Your data will transmit faster. If you have employees who use
their mobile devices for work, or tablets for orders in the warehouse, these systems become as reliable, if not more that traditional wireless services. 5G has exponentially more connectivity than 4g and can relay much more bandwidth. In fact, research has shown the 5g can connect and support 1 million devices in a .38 mile radius, as opposed to only 2000 with 4G. Latency also has been shown to greatly decrease with the advent of 5g, making it easier for customers to reach your business, and your business to reach their customers. As we move from offices that merely work on pc’s to offices that are interconnected through a myriad of devices, 5G technology helps ensure that no matter what
device you are on, you are connected and supported at the highest speeds.
CYBER SECURITY
As we touched on earlier, cyber-crimes are getting costlier as each day passes and cyber criminals are getting craftier in their approach, and braver in the endevours. Of course, this means that those who wish to thwart these criminals also are constantly updating their approaches to minimize the risk to both everyday citizens and business owners. While many businesses are using VPN’s as a way to secure their networks for remote workers, a new approach known as ZTNA or Zero Trust Network Access, is beginning to emerge as an even more secure solution for networks. While a VPN merely cloaks the mobile users path into the network, a ZTNA checks everything from the user, to the content, to their network for malicious and suspicious activity, making it much more secure.
Leaps in Multi-Factor Authentication are also being made. Traditonally, an MFA system would employ a SMS text message or an email in order to authenticate the user. However, both SMS and email are accessible to hackers and other malicious actors. 3rd party applications such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator and Duo, which is used at Delval Technology Solutions, offer a secure, encrypted 2FA platform, giving endusers and network operators a more trusted method of protection.
Data is both an invaluable commodity to a business, and a high profile target to a hacker. For this reason, data privacy is becoming less of a component of a greater cyber-security plan, and more of a separate entity to be protected. Attacks on personal data aren’t just problematic for identity theft, but are costly to business owners who can lose both customer trust, and thousands if not millions of dollars in regulatory fines.
Cyber security professionals, such as the folks here at Delval, are becoming less of a “luxury” item and more of a necessity for business owners. Attacks are becoming more frequent by the day, and targets are becoming even more broad. It is imperative to consult and work with cyber security professionals if you are not one yourself in order to protect yourself, your business and your customers. Oftentimes people have stated “it’s better to have one and not need it, then need it and not have one”, when speaking about firearms. Think of a cyber security professional the same way. You have someone to watch your back and your network, and ensure that your enterprise is compliant and protected, and to be vigilant in protecting your company.
While these aren’t the only tech trends, they are the ones that you will be hearing more and more about.