24/01/2018
In Digitales_ we have compiled 10 prestigious studies prepared by renowned entities and we have compared their forecasts for the immediate future. Prestigious consulting firms, universities and research centers such as Gartner, IDC, Forbes, Harvard or Singularity University agree on some of these trends and disagree on others, so we have chosen those that are most repeated as the most significant for 2018. At the bottom of the page you can consult the sources of the reports and learn more about all of them.
And although nothing is more difficult than guessing the future, we can be sure of one thing: these trends will set the agenda for Digital Transformation in the next 12 months. There is unanimity in this regard.
Artificial Intelligence
It is the most repeated of all, the star technology of 2018. Some people do not hesitate to say that it will have the same impact as electricity or fire. What is certain is that the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, especially computer systems, is already a reality, with applications ranging from medicine to business, education, finance, law and product manufacturing.
All reports agree that companies and organizations will have to base part of their business on this technology. They will need to exploit it to achieve optimal business results.
2. Blockchain
The blockchain goes far beyond the creation of digital cryptocurrencies, such as the now famous bitcoin. Its main attraction lies in the fact that allows transactions of any kind to be carried out reliably and securely, without the need for an intermediary. Experts believe it can offer a way out of the current centralized transaction and record-keeping mechanisms, and thereby serve as a basis for digital business.
Digital transformation
Digital transformation is the strategic opportunity to incorporate new technologies, but above all new logics, to make the business more efficient and enable new opportunities. In other words, it is not so much a technology as a trend, but it is clear that it will mark 2018. There is not a single company or organization that can afford not to undertake or deepen its digital transformation, and all published reports agree on this.
4. Augmented reality
Perhaps the most advanced disruptive technology to date, according to this Gartner chart. This technology makes it possible to complement the real environment with digital objects, and to imagine, for example, how a piece of furniture would look in your room.
5. Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet of Things ranks fifth in our ranking of disruptive technologies. It is estimated that by 2020, between 22 and 50 billion devices will be connected to the Internet in order to provide citizens with an unprecedented array of smart services and applications.
This will allow, for example, sneakers to record data and statistics of our workouts in the cloud, or a toothbrush to alert us if it detects a cavity and ask us to make an appointment at the dentist. Experts agree that 2018 will be a pivotal year for the development and consolidation of this technology.
6. Edge Computing
Closely related to the previous point, Edge Computing is a way to streamline the flow of traffic from IoT devices and provide real-time local data analytics.
That is, it allows data produced by Internet of Things (IoT) devices to be processed closer to where it is created instead of sending it over long routes to data centers or clouds. Experts stress that this way of working is already changing the Web.
7. Big Data Analytics
Every day, the world generates a multitude of data that is stored by the administration or private companies, some 2.5 trillion bytes worldwide to be more precise. In addition, cities are full of sensors that collect all kinds of weather, telephone or traffic information. Big Data Analytics is a concept that groups those technologies and mathematical developments that are dedicated to store, analyze and cross-reference all that information to try to find behavioral patterns. Its adoption is already a fact by a large number of companies. 2018 will be a year to delve even deeper into this technology.
8. New ways of working (skills, tools and empowerment)
The reports consulted coincide in pointing out the changes that new technologies and digital transformation will bring about in new ways of working. Tools, skills and worker empowerment is something that companies and organizations will leverage in 2018 to achieve greater productivity in their results.
9. Autonomous cabs
Autonomous cabs are already a reality and we have been able to see them walking the streets of Las Vegas in the last edition of CES. And although they still rely on a human driver to react to any emergency, there is no doubt that steps are being taken at great speed and that it will be one of the major trends in the next twelve months.
10. Robotics applications in medicine
Medical robotics aims to match the surgeon with the robot to improve surgical procedures. It is just another tool, but it is an intelligent one, as it tries to compensate for the limitations that the surgeon may have to perform certain procedures. There is no doubt that this will be one of the fields with the greatest development in 2018.
Sources consulted:
Deloitte. «Predictions for 2017. Everything Is Becoming Digital.»
Fjord: «2018 Fjord Trends».
Forbes: «Top 10 Trends For Digital Transformation In 2018».
Gartner: «Gartner identifies top 10 technology trends for 2018».
Harvard: «The 10 Trends You Have to Watch».
Harvard: «Competing in 2020: Winners and losers in the digital economy».
IDC: «2017 Trend Predictions».
IEEE: «2017 Top Tech to Watch»
MIT: «10 Breakthrough Technologies».
Singularity University: «These 7 Disruptive Technologies Could Be Worth Trillions of Dollars».
