Six big IT and technology trends for 2017
Augmented reality, blockchain, drones for businesses, autonomous vehicles and new materials such as graphene or silicene are opening up exciting new horizons for 2020 and beyond.
Six major IT and technology trends predicted by IT company Cisco for 2017 and the future. Companies should therefore also keep an eye on these in the short term.
- Growth in Internet data traffic requires even more broadband: By 2020, global traffic over the Internet will be about 95 times greater than it was in 2005, predicts the Cisco Visual Networking Index 2015-2020. This growth will result in more Internet users (4.1 billion in 2020), more Internet-connected devices, higher broadband speeds, and greater video usage. In 2020, 71 percent of all IP traffic will be generated by non-PC devices such as smartphones, tablets and smart TVs. Digitization and the Internet of Things (IoT) are also driving stronger IP traffic. Applications such as video surveillance, smart meters, digital health monitoring and M2M services are generating more and more traffic and new requirements for broadband networks. So infrastructures need to keep pace with technology trends.
- Digitization requires digital-ready networks: Already today, everyone is concerned with digitization. Whether manufacturer, technology company, consulting firm, politician or market expert: Everyone is jumping on the new technology trends. At the World Economic Forum 2016 in Davos, Industry 4.0 was the central topic. As the world becomes more digital and connected, data is emerging as the most important strategic asset for every company and country. The ability to secure, analyze and provide services based on data will determine the success of any organization. But there is one important prerequisite for this: digital-ready networks.
In the future, network connections will be simple to create. Just as the World Wide Web hid the complexity of the Internet and enabled its use by any user, the enterprise network is evolving into an open model. A digital-ready network offers controller-based automation, real-time and context-based analytics, network function virtualization (NFV) and the unlimited scalability of the cloud. How does an open, software-based network support digital transformation? It provides network-based insights, automates processes and protects against threats. For example, in the digital age, network devices can automatically detect and close a line leak or enable predictive maintenance in production factories. - Artificial intelligence and deep learning improve cybersecurity: Technology trends also have dark sides. Frozen data, blackmail through ransomware, stolen identities - awareness of the threats posed by cyber attacks has now reached many companies in Switzerland. According to a new study by IDG Research Services, 74 percent of the strategic decision-makers surveyed in the DACH region rate the threat posed by cyber attacks to their company as "very high" or "high" in the future. Today, the detection and defense against threats must be automated. Artificial intelligence helps to analyze and automatically examine suspicious web traffic. This allows attacks to be detected before they can lead to the theft of sensitive data.
Artificial intelligence systems continuously learn from the huge amounts of data they evaluate. They independently recognize what normal and suspicious behavior looks like. Subsequently, they can respond to harmful behavior in new and more effective ways. This type of deep learning enables automation of defenses against new and unknown threats. Automation is also important to manage additional threats arising from the Internet of Things. Cisco uses Artificial Intelligence to create a Self-Defending Network that automatically detects potential risks and activates a managed response. - The way of working is changing: According to a 2016 Harvard Business Review study, 72 percent of executives say effective team communication has become increasingly important over the past two years. Sixty-eight percent of respondents say that collaboration with external partners, suppliers, customers and consultants, as well as colleagues in other locations, has also become more important. The most common complaints about the collaboration tools in use are that they are not integrated with other business processes (according to 38% of respondents), they are not aligned with users' work styles (35%) and are therefore underutilized by employees (44%). Collaboration tools rated as most effective include cloud and file sharing, video conferencing, and enterprise portals for content management. The next generation of collaboration tools is cloud-based, mobile-first, and open to integrating different workflows.
- Fog computing extends the cloud to the edge of the network: In 2017, Fog Computing will continue to bring the benefits of the cloud to the edge of the network, as well as increasingly integrated into solutions such as Smart Cities. There, the technology enables the use of server, storage and network functions in devices located in even the most remote locations. This improves urban services such as traffic management, intelligent lighting, security and parking guidance systems. For example, a video camera detects the blue light of an ambulance, causing traffic lights to automatically turn green so it can get through traffic faster. Fog computing also allows sensors on trains to monitor components. If they detect problems, they send an automatic warning to the train operator so he can fix them at the next stop. Fog computing also enables intelligent power supply. For example, load-balancing applications can run on devices at the edge of the network, automatically switching to alternative energy such as solar or wind power depending on demand, availability and price.
- Alternative realities are taking hold: The mixing of dimensions will continue in 2017. For example, previous online-only retailers such as Amazon are opening real-world branches, while at the same time Pokémon Go focused the attention of the masses on augmented reality. Virtual reality technologies are now available to every customer. This is because devices such as smartphones or tablets enable new, open, software-based platforms through which companies can deliver novel applications - whether online, in real life or in virtual spaces. IT and technology trends will therefore continue.
Source and further information: www.cisco.ch
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