Tech lovers, gear up! Analysts from Gartner, Inc. have identified the top tech trends for 2017 that will shape businesses in the future. Here’s are my favorites:
- Augmented Reality
Remember the overnight blockbuster success of Pokemon? Oh wait, it’s still going. What started as gamer tech is being implemented across businesses and we’ll continue to see that into the next year. For example, the fintech industry is adopting augmented reality to target younger customers. You see, millennials aren’t typically inclined to physically walk into a bank to open up a line of credit or speak to a financial planner; now that they can get the financial advice they need through robo-advisors, without leaving the house or interacting with other humans at all. Fidelity Labs created StockCity for Oculus, a tool that combines virtual reality with data visualizations to transform the investor experience and environment altogether.
- Machine Learning
Our intricate relationships with everyday technology continue to amaze me. Artificial intelligence and machine learning, once deemed the future of science (remember from ‘Back to the Future’?) is now a reality! As machine learning algorithms are integrated with collaborative robots and AI technology, we will continue to see this technology become a standalone disruptive force in 2017. From big brand tech companies like IBM, Google and Salesforce to startups like Brain Corp and Stripe, all the cool kids are applying advanced machine learning techniques to move beyond traditional algorithms.
- Chatbots
The Chatbots are coming! Tell everyone – via Chatbot. Chatbots are computer programs designed to simulate conversation with people, and they are the future of messaging and communications. Chatbot programs such as Slack’s messenger solutions and Facebook’s messenger are becoming the middlemen between brands and consumers: users search for content, and brands deliver it using a bot’s superior interpretation of the query (using machine-learning algorithms, of course). . Datais a tremendous asset to businesses, and as businesses migrate toward a data-driven environment, we can certainly expect to see a rise in chatbots.
I’m thrilled to see technology increasingly woven into every fabric of our lives. As I always say, the only thing constant is change, and these trends will be the defining forces of key industries as early as next year. The best way to stay afloat will be to adapt.
