5 must-know IT trends in 2019
IT budgets are set to swell in 2019 as organizations continue to embrace a suite of rapidly developing technologies. With the arrival of 5G set to send mobile network speeds soaring and long-hyped technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain approaching maturity, 2019 will be a transformative year for IT. Here are five key trends to watch this year.
1. 5G is here!
The arrival of 5G in 2019 will send the wireless revolution into hyper-drive. Your landline could be set for extinction as 5G mobile devices benefit from broadband network speeds. 5G also has huge implications for Internet of Things (IoT) technology that will soon have access to much faster mobile network speeds than was possible with 4G. This will drive a range of new innovations and capabilities as the first next-generation 5G mobile devices are launched in the coming months.
2. Blockchain goes mainstream
While blockchain has been present in the world of cryptocurrency for the last few years, it has had limited mainstream use – until now. With big players like IBM investing in blockchain development, we’ll likely begin to see a more digestible version of blockchain emerge that a range of businesses will be able to use to create more secure systems for recording and verifying transactions. The financial services industry is already making early moves into blockchain, and predictions are that the logistics sector will follow.
3. Artificial intelligence (AI) gets real
AI has been making big promises for some years now, but 2019 could be the year that it transitions from theoretical musings into actual business tools. AI is tipped to move beyond data science to take on a more developer-centric focus. That means 2019 could be the year that developers start building genuine AI technology into a range of new mainstream apps across business functions.
4. NoOps transforms IT
DevOps could become NoOps in 2019 as software automation and cloud-based SaaS (software as a service) continue to take the software development and maintenance burden off in-house IT teams. As such, IT will need to accelerate its philosophical and cultural shift from an operations-based department to an outcomes-based department with a heavier focus on value-adding innovation.
- Chatbots go to the next level
While frustrations have been common with early chatbots, that’s set to change in 2019. Advances in natural language processing (NLP) and sentiment analytics will drive the development of much smarter chatbots that will be capable of delivering more personalized customer experiences. Expect to see more sophisticated chatbots that possess a greater understanding of empathy and other human emotions.