The Top Enterprise Technology Trends You Need to Know

Living in a digital era means that technology is always changing; it’s constantly advancing and, if organizations want to succeed where their competition faltered, they need to make the most of the innovation these changes bring.

For example, if something comes along that defuncts previous processes or even makes them obsolete, it’s not only suggested to adopt and adapt as soon as possible but vital as well.
The alternative, falling behind, is simply not viable in a world where competitive threats pop up every day, all vying to take someone else’s spot.

Because of this, the importance of following the latest technology trends is paramount and cannot be overstated.
It boils down to the simple fact that enterprises today are intertwined with technology, and to succeed means making the most of it.
With that in mind, today we’ll be discussing three enterprise technology trends 2018 strategies need: artificial intelligence (AI), big data and analytics, and blockchain.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is nothing new, but rapid advancements in the field are making it a force to be reckoned with; so much so that it almost seems like AI capabilities are a prerequisite for success in the enterprise.

This is because, with AI backing them and their decision-making, enterprises can enhance their strategies and streamline processes more so than ever before.

For example, consider automation. Tasks that can be automated usually fall under the umbrella of tasks that are repetitive and time-consuming, and don’t require higher-level processes.

Thanks to AI and machine learning’s ability to learn from use, not only can they handle these sort of tasks with the mastery of a seasoned veteran, but over time they’ll get even better and better at them. So much so that they can be left alone while human workers focus on tasks that require a human touch.

Apart from automation, AI also allows for greater personalization through learned behaviors and patterns, and when combined with chatbots that reside in a website and support all site visitors coming its way, it’s easy to see how handy they can come in within retail and eCommerce.

Looking at 2019 and the coming years, it’s not a stretch to see a greater AI presence in fields across the board. For example, as Gartner points out:
● In banking and financial services, chatbots help customers access their bank balance
● In healthcare, virtual nursing assistants follow up with patients post-discharge
● In retail, machine learning and natural language processing learn from customer data to generate behavioral insights
● In education, AI “tutor-bots” provide personalized learning

Big Data and Analytics

Like AI, big data is another buzzword you frequently hear about enterprises.
After all, part of being an enterprise is handling a lot of data, whether internal or external and if it’s not being analyzed and extrapolated for information, it’s being wasted.

For example, data can come from a lot of sources, such as how effective certain strategies are (internal), and browsing and purchasing behaviors, device usage and social interactions (external).
Whatever the source, analytics tools can be used to learn valuable insights from that data, which lead to better strategies and improved decision making, both of which help the enterprise grow.

Blockchain

And then there’s blockchain, one of the top technology trends to keep an eye on (and make use of if you can), and one you’ve most likely heard of in recent times.

In essence, blockchain is a type of ledger comprised of a list or records—called blocks—that are linked together with a cryptographic hash of the previous block, forming a sort of decentralized database.

In other words, it’s a peer-to-peer (P2P) network with a time-stamping server that stores data on thousands and thousands of servers around the world.

It is, therefore, a public ledger that’s extremely secure, despite the fact that it’s openly shared among users everywhere. This is because each time a transaction takes place, an unchangeable record of it—a block— is created with a timestamp, which is then linked to the previous block.

As such, changes and updates can only take place with every participants’ consensus.
Because of this high level of security, blockchain is extremely useful for enterprises that house a lot of sensitive information they would like to keep extra secure.

For example, there are currently phones running on blockchain that are MUCH more secure than their normal counterparts, which is extremely important when we consider how many applications the typical smartphone houses, which can all be compromised.

Additionally, these blockchain-enabled smartphones can lead to cryptocurrency wallets with an added layer of security.

Final Thoughts

Enterprises and technology go hand-in-hand. If you’re part of an enterprise, you not only want the latest technology on your side, you need it.
For that reason, we covered three such technologies today, technologies that you definitely need to know and use if you want your enterprise to succeed:
● Artificial intelligence
● Big data and analytics
● Blockchain

Best of luck!