Seven top technology trends to watch

Technology is evolving at an ever-increasing rate. As technology evolves, it enables even faster change and progress. Here are seven technology trends you should watch for.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has received a lot of buzz in recent years, but it continues to be a trend to watch because its effects on how we live, work and play are only in the early stages. Artificial Intelligence has become the keyword which defines the future and everything that it holds.

Not only has Artificial Intelligence taken over traditional methods of computing, but it has also changed the way industries perform. AI has had a positive impact on the way the IT sector works; there is no denying the fact that it has revolutionised the very essence of the space.

Artificial Intelligence is a branch of computer science that aims to turn computers into intelligent machines – to perform work which would otherwise not be possible without a human brain. Through the use of algorithms and computer-based training, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning can effectively be used to create expert systems that will exhibit intelligent behaviour, provide solutions to complicated problems, and further help to develop simulations equivalent to human intelligence within machines.

Machine learning

Machine learning is a branch of artificial intelligence based on the idea that systems can learn from data, identify patterns and make decisions with minimal human intervention.

While many machine learning algorithms have been around for a long time, the ability to automatically apply complex mathematical calculations to large volumes of data – over and over again, faster and faster – is a recent development. It’s now possible to quickly and automatically produce models that can analyse bigger, more complex data and deliver faster, more accurate results – even on a very large scale. And by building precise models, an organisation has a better chance of identifying profitable opportunities – or avoiding unknown risks.

Robotic Process Automation

Many businesses are turning to a technology practice called robotic process automation (RPA) to streamline enterprise operations and reduce costs. With RPA, businesses can automate mundane rules-based business processes, enabling business users to devote more time to serving customers or other higher-value work.

Using RPA tools, a company can configure software, or a “robot,” to capture and interpret applications for processing a transaction, manipulating data, triggering responses and communicating with other digital systems. RPA scenarios range from something as simple as generating an automatic response to an email to deploying thousands of bots, each programmed to automate jobs in an ERP system.

Blockchain

Blockchain is an incorruptible database of digital transactions that is programmed in such a manner that it can record the value of everything.

Emerging as a real-world tech option in 2016, Blockchain is set to change IT in much the same way open-source software did 25 years ago. And in the same way Linux took more than a decade to become a cornerstone in modern application development, Blockchain will likely take years to become a lower cost, more efficient way to share information and data between open and private business networks.

Blockchain is moving beyond the development phase but is still largely in the domain of concept projects and small-scale production deployments.

Edge Computing

Edge computing is when you generate, collect, and analyse data on the edge of the network where the data is generated rather than in centralized servers and systems, commonly called the cloud.

While the concept of edge computing (sometimes referred to as fog computing) may not yet be top-of-mind for many, it will be soon. Experts predict that in the next 2 years, 5.6 billion IoT devices owned by enterprises and governments will utilise edge computing for data collection and processing (Business Insider report).

Containerisation

Containers are a solution to the problem of how to get software to run reliably when moved from one computing environment to another.

Container technology contains not only the software, but also the dependencies including libraries, binaries and configuration files, all together, and they get migrated as a unit, avoiding the differences between machines including OS differences and underlying hardware that lead to incompatibilities and crashes. Containers also facilitate deployment of software to a server.

Containers have evolved and developed to the point where you can safely place your bets on their technology and tools.

DevSecOps

As more companies adopt cloud technologies and containerisation, security must be tightly integrated throughout the entire infrastructure.

The simple premise of DevSecOps is that everyone in the software development life cycle is responsible for security, in essence bringing operations and development together with security functions. DevSecOps aims to embed security in every part of the development process. It is about trying to automate core security tasks by embedding security controls and processes early in the DevOps workflow, rather than being bolted on at the end. If security remains at the end of the development pipeline, organisations adopting DevOps can find themselves back to the long development cycles they were trying to avoid in the first place.

WM Promus deliver high-quality Dev Ops, RPA and IT solutions and services to businesses across all sectors​.
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