Amelia
Written by Amelia Orwick

As 2019 comes to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on all the events and change that occurred over the past decade. Somehow, technology was both a constant and ever-changing force that affected our lives personally and professionally. Analysts expect the next 10 years will be no different.

Technology can either create tremendous opportunity or significant disruption for enterprises like those we serve at ViaTech. In 2020, leaders have to be strategic, not only in their innovation, but in their management of new technologies.

Of course, one of the great things about technology is the insight it provides into human behavior. Going into the next 365, we’re able to anticipate trends and set business goals and strategy accordingly. Here are three predictions for the year ahead (and some advice on how to deal).

1. Data transparency will gain new importance.

With the demand for information comes greater responsibility to address concerns over digital ethics and data privacy.

According to the Gartner report Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2020, “Dealing with privacy, digital ethics and security challenges generated by AI, the Internet of Things (IoT)/edge, and other evolving technologies will become critical to maintain trust and avoid legal entanglements.”

Enterprises continue to acquire consumer data at unfathomably fast rates. Meanwhile, non-IT professionals are being granted access to powerful tools and systems that require skills beyond their expertise and training.

As industries and governments continue to introduce privacy and data-ownership policies, enterprises must determine how to utilize their rich data sets while adhering to more stringent rules and regulations.

2. Immersive experiences will be commonplace.

Many enterprises are already experimenting with technology to simulate realistic scenarios and allow users to interact with virtual people and objects. But soon opportunities will grow to simulate more robust scenarios across platforms and devices.

In fact, Gartner predicts that 70% of enterprises will be experimenting with immersive technologies by 2022, and 25% will have deployed them to production.

In addition to developing immersive technology for consumers, enterprises should consider the benefits of internal use – including training, tele-conferencing and product visualization and prototyping.

3. Innovation will become more people centric.

Technology does seemingly everything these days. But the truth remains that it’s for and by the people. Your customers, employees and business partners should be at the center of your digital strategy!

“A people-centric approach should start with understanding these key target constituencies and the journey they undertake to interact with or support your organization,” Gartner says. “This is the first step to understanding how and where you will apply strategic technology trends to drive desired business outcomes.”

Today, people require technology to be fast, flexible, integrative and intuitive. Keep this in mind as you continue to innovate and implement new software and systems.

For more than 20 years, ViaTech has supported large enterprises through technological transformation. Visit viatech.io for more information about our solutions.