2023 was a challenging year for the global population and businesses of all sizes. To survive, companies had to adapt to the changing economic environment and respond to the shifting demands of customers, users, suppliers and systems. This in turn drove the need for new technological developments.
This shift in key sectors and technologies has had a ripple effect on related areas such as software development outsourcing. Businesses had to re-train their personnel in order to meet the demands of those companies that had to rapidly adapt in order to stay afloat.
As we look to the year ahead, it is difficult to predict whether IT departments will continue to face the challenges of the pandemic or if businesses will be able to return to their usual operations. It is likely, however, that the coming year will bring a return to normal, albeit with some changes in certain areas.
It is likely that four developments will experience significant growth in 2023. While it is difficult to definitively predict which trends will be successful, these developments have gained considerable momentum in recent years and may pose a challenge to alternative technologies. In order to analyse these patterns further, let us now take a closer look.
Remote Employment
As the global pandemic continues, employers are increasingly requiring their employees to work remotely. Research from Global Workplace Analytics predicts that by 2023, 25-30% of the worldwide workforce will be working from home at least once a week. This is an important development, and is likely to have a significant impact on the IT industry.
Every organisation with remote staff must take additional measures to protect confidential data. With employees logging in from their own residences, utilising networks which are far less secure than an organisation’s LAN, this task can be particularly arduous.
In order to ensure their home networks are equipped to manage the increased demand, businesses may need to seek external assistance. There is likely to be a shift towards more secure hybrid cloud solutions. Alternatively, employees can access cloud applications hosted on corporate networks, which are interconnected to the company’s internal network.
Can your IT department effectively construct such an ecosystem? The alternative might be to hire a third party service.
The Concept of “Edge Computing”
Edge Computing is here to stay, and is projected to continue to rise in popularity across a range of industries by 2023. But what is Edge Computing? It is a technology that allows for processing tasks to be carried out locally on mobile or Internet of Things (IoT) devices, rather than sending raw data to a centralised data centre. This alleviates the typical delays associated with data transmission, meaning users in remote areas can access data in real-time.
This software firm has developed technology to detect whether people are wearing masks. Utilising a conventional system, cameras located across your facility would transmit their video feeds to a single server, with a short period of time before the data can be used.
In an Edge Computing setup, the camera would analyse the video data locally prior to transmitting it to the main server. This can significantly improve the performance of online video.
The IT team must possess a comprehensive understanding of Edge Computing in order to remain effective for the foreseeable future. If the existing team is unable to meet the required standards, specialist services such as Works may be considered as an alternative.
Generating Intelligent Machines
Your business can benefit from the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve innovation and productivity. AI can be used to forecast customer demand, deploy autonomous vehicles and robots, incorporate voice assistants, implement facial recognition into security protocols, structure disorganised data, add support bots to websites, and give software more intelligent features. Despite this, AI is still developing and has yet to reach its full potential.
The incorporation of AI into processes can be a challenge due to the complexity of the technology. To ensure successful integration, it is important that the development team have an understanding of programming languages such as TensorFlow, LISP, Python, Java, C++ and Prolog.
It is essential to consider Artificial Intelligence (AI) now, as the longer you wait, the more difficult it will become. Moreover, the use of AI in various settings and applications is expected to rise significantly by 2023.
Software for Mobile Devices and the Internet
It is clear to see that the majority of people globally favour mobile shopping. An increasing amount of individuals are even choosing to forgo using desktop and laptop computers in favour of mobile devices. This trend is expected to continue through to 2023. Current market share data from Stat Counter reveals that mobile usage has reached 50.88%, while desktop usage has dropped to 46.39%. With an increasing number of people working remotely, mobile devices will continue to expand their share of the market.
How does this affect your business? Firstly, can mobile users navigate your website with ease? Additionally, is there an app available for mobile devices? It is essential to assess the mobile compatibility of your company’s website if you are unsure. If your business does not already have a mobile app, now is the time to join the revolution.
It is important to maintain customer loyalty, even as desktop computers become less popular. To ensure success, it is advisable to create a mobile-friendly website and app. An external development team should be considered as an alternative to an internal one, as this could be more effective.
Conclusion
For those who have been following the latest trends in the market and IT sector, these four tendencies should be expected. If you have not yet been engaged in the day-to-day operations of your company, it is important to do so now. Ignoring these developments could lead to your company falling behind its competitors. In order to remain competitive, organisations must be agile and any delay could have damaging effects.
