Technology trends for 2022

AI and Machine Learning

Artificial Intelligence has been an area of technology which has been in the spotlight for a while but this is set to continue in 2022 as, relatively speaking, it is still in its infancy and developing at a rapid rate. It already has a big influence on the way we live, work and play with smartphone personal assistants, navigation apps, taxi apps and image and speech recognition to name but a few.

Going forward, AI will be used more and more to analyse interactions, determine connections and draw insights to help businesses make better informed decisions. For public services like hospitals, this means that authorities can make better decisions about resource utilization and in the retail sector, businesses can detect changing patterns in consumer behaviour by analysing data in near real-time, driving revenue and enhancing personalised customer experiences.

According to research company Markets and Markets, the AI market will grow to a $190 billion industry by 2025 with global spending on cognitive and AI systems reaching over $57 billion in 2022.

Machine Learning is a form of AI which uses algorithms to provide systems with the ability to automatically learn and improve from experience without being specifically programmed to do so.

This allows large quantities of data to be analysed more quickly and with more accurate results. It can be used to identify both profitable opportunities and dangerous risks. However, it may initially require additional time and resources to train it properly.

Robotic Process Automation

Robotic Process Automation (RPA), like AI and Machine learning, is another form of technology that is enabling certain jobs to be automated. It is the use of software to automate various repetitive or time-consuming tasks which used to be carried out by people such as data entry, processing transactions and interpreting applications.

Although there are concerns about the effect RPA automation could have on jobs, research by McKinsey estimates that although about 60 percent can be partially automated, less than 5 percent of occupations can be fully automated. RPA is also creating many new jobs as a technology developer, analyst and architect as well as streamlining workflows in many roles.                 

Domestic robots

In the world of consumer technology, robotic devices for the home such as vacuum cleaners, window cleaners and lawn mowers have been around for some time but newer innovations such as educational robots and pets mean that they are still very much a trend for 2022.

Domestic robots are now being used for education, entertainment and therapy as well as household chores. Although many domestic robots are quite simple, some connect to home wi-fi networks or smart environments making them highly autonomous.

Who couldn’t do with a hand around the house or a homework helper?!

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

Virtual reality and augmented reality both feature heavily in the gaming world with 14 million AR and VR devices being sold in 2019 according to Techjury, as well as being used in simulation software such as training software for the US Army, Navy and Coastguard, but these technologies are set to become further integrated into our lives over the next twelve months.

They have huge potential to be used across many sectors, including education, healthcare, training and marketing, for example offering exhibition visitors an immersive experience, enhancing theme parks, even training doctors to perform surgery. Techjury predict that the global AR and VR market will grow to $209.2 billion by 2022, thanks to more affordable hardware and faster internet speeds.

Metaverse

Fancy entering a whole new world?! The metaverse is a network of 3D virtual worlds where people can live in a digital universe of virtual and augmented reality. The concept is focused around social connection and offers us the opportunity to play, work or buy, either virtually or in reality.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta (formerly Facebook), predicts that it will take five to ten years for the key aspects of the metaverse to become mainstream. Various elements of it already exist though, such as ultra -fast broadband, virtual reality headsets although these are not yet accessible to everyone. 

Internet of Things and smart homes

The term Internet of Things refers to devices which are internet-enabled and therefore can connect to and interact with other similar devices. By adding sensors to normal objects, they can be turned into smart devices which collect and share real-time data without the need for human involvement.

Due to the availability of extremely cheap computer chips and the abundance of wireless networks, there are billions of these devices around the world which are now connected to the internet collecting and sharing all different types of data, merging the digital and physical universes and making everything around us smarter and more responsive.

Internet of Senses

The Internet of Senses, a term coined by the Ericsson Research team, is used to describe a fully sensory immersive digital experience. This is an exciting technology development pushes the idea of a metaverse to a new level, incorporating mind, smell, sight, sound, touch and taste. It augments our senses beyond the boundaries of our bodies giving us an enhanced sense of vision, touch, hearing and smell.

Always dreamt of lying on a white sandy beach in the Caribbean, with the sun on your skin sipping on a piña colada…? This dream could become a “virtual” reality sooner than you think!

5G and ultrafast networks

5G and ultrafast networks are a technology which underpins a lot of the other developing technologies discussed in this article. The emergence of 5G and ultrafast connections provides the potential to expand these other concepts exponentially.

5G wireless technology is supposed to deliver higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, better reliability, ultra low latency, huge network capacity, increased availability and a more consistent user experience to more users. With this level of internet performance, the possibilities become endless!

Edge computing

As cloud computing starts to become more mainstream, the new technology trend that is emerging is edge computing. It is a form of computing which is carried out on site or near a particular data source, decreasing the need for data to be processed in a remote data centre.

This provides organisations with a faster, more efficient way of handling data using business class applications. They can access comprehensive data analysis without the IT infrastructure that would previously have been required for this and gain near real-time insights with less latency and lower cloud server bandwidth demands—all while adding an additional layer of security for sensitive data.

Blockchain and Non-fungible Tokens

Blockchain is a database which stores information electronically in digital format that is shared amongst a computer network.

The purpose of blockchain is to allow digital information to be recorded and distributed but not edited. For this reason, blockchain is the foundation for immutable ledgers, or records of transactions that cannot be altered, deleted, or destroyed. This is why blockchains are also known as a distributed ledger technology (DLT). They are best known for their crucial role in cryptocurrency systems, such as Bitcoin, for maintaining a secure and decentralized record of transactions.

Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are a one-of-a-kind crypto token which track the provenance and authenticity of rare virtual collectible items such as art and sports memorabilia.

The popularity of NFTs exploded in 2021 with more than $20 billion worth of the tokens changing hands, according to some estimates. One transaction that caught everyone’s attention was a collage by digital artist Beeple which was sold for a record $69 million.

Cyber Security

Despite all of these amazing developments, there is an important word of caution to heed regarding cyber security. Cyber attacks are becoming more and more prevalent in line with technological advances. From malware to phishing to ransomware attacks, hackers are constantly developing new ways to enter and exploit IT systems.

The growth of Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) in 2021 has enabled criminal gangs to recruit affiliates to use their pre-developed ransomware tools to carry out attacks. With RaaS hackers no longer needing a high level of technical skill, even inexperienced hackers will be able to launch sophisticated attacks.  

Ransomware hackers are becoming more aggressive in their demands and negotiations, leaving organisations without protection completely at their mercy. Once they have successfully launched a cyber attack, hackers are also increasingly extorting the organisation’s business partners whose data they have gained access to as well. Ensure your business has all of the necessary cyber security measures in place to avoid cyber attack.

Keep your eye on these emerging technologies over the coming year- we are sure they will continue to bring us exciting new products and experiences and let’s see what other technological delights the rest of the year brings!

For more information about how we can help you secure your network, contact us, call us on 0121 3680119 or email us at hello@ebcgroup.co.uk.