If your business isn’t paying attention to advancements in information technology, you could be lagging behind. New technologies keep changing the dynamics of various industries, and being an early adopter has been shown to be a selling point among some of the world’s largest corporations. Following suit will likely give you the same results, but that may mean wading through a sea of new technologies and picking out the ones that are relevant to your operations. We did a little research and projected these five technologies to take the corporate world by storm in 2021:
1. The adoption of 5G
5G is significantly faster than its predecessors 4G and 3G, and while the technology has been around since 2019, few businesses have been able to adopt it. However, things might change in 2021, with major companies expected to upgrade to 5G-compatible infrastructure. For small businesses relying on wireless networks, this may mean changing routers, distributed antenna systems, and all other non-adaptive assets. You might need independent IT services for this, as your in-house team is less likely to have the skills and equipment to set up 5G infrastructure.
2. Virtual conferencing
The COVID-19 pandemic introduced many people to remote working, and although most businesses have gone back to operating normally, some companies have chosen to adopt work-from-home policies on a permanent basis. This means a number of things from a technological standpoint. Firstly, businesses now have to make their networks accessible from remote locations. Secondly, tougher cybersecurity measures have to be taken to curb the increased risk of cyber-attacks brought about by remote company network access. More importantly, administrators have to ensure workplace efficiency, productivity, and teamwork remain the same by installing better communication systems, including video conferencing tools such as Zoom.
3. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are hardly new technologies, but they have yet to be incorporated into mainstream processes. There are a number of scenarios where they are being used already. Chatbots, for instance, use AI to collect information and provide automatic answers to questions they have come across before. Other more sophisticated tools, such as customer relationship management (CRM) systems also use machine learning to track customer activity, identify patterns, and predict future activities. In the next year, we are likely to see a surge in the use of chatbots and the further incorporation of artificial intelligence into sales and marketing.
4. Influencer social media marketing
Influencer marketing looked like it was going to be short-lived, but lockdowns have created a platform for even more YouTube and Instagram stars to emerge. Businesses may thus have to hold on to this marketing technique as an addendum to conventional social media marketing.
Endnote
If there is one thing humans have learned since the onset of the digital era, it’s to never try to predict technology. However, marketers and business owners have been relatively slow to take up new technologies, meaning we can be sure 2021 will be dominated by advancements we already know about. Get your company ready for the above four, as we reckon they will be among the most sought-after technologies of the decade.