What’s on the IT Horizon
The beauty about technology is that it is forever changing. Sometimes this is great, such as when we were introduced to 4G, but sometimes it can be bad such the introduction of malware and data breaches etc.
This month we take a look at what technological advances you can expect to see in the short term i.e. in the next 12 months or so and how they will benefit us as users.
Is the future bright?
DATA PROTECTION
As if the introduction of GDPR was not enough, we believe there will be more rules and regulations with regards to data protection. As being digital is now the norm, personal data protection will attract greater scrutiny from lawmakers. Governments are acknowledging that security laws need to be stricter, hence the introduction of GDPR and making websites ensure that users are all aware that their data could be stored with opt ins etc. But, it could go further, it will only take a couple more severe breaches from large corporations and the goverment will be stepping in again. It may get to the stage that not only will you have to opt in when going onto a website but you could end up having to actually register every time you view something new!
5G
If you thought 4G was good, you will be over the moon when this technology finally arrives. 5G will offer a combination of speed, responsiveness and reach that should unlock the full capabilities of other hot trends in technology, offering a boost to self-driving cars, drones, virtual reality. With speeds of up to 100 gigabits per second, 5G will be as much as 1,000 times faster than 4G and also offers extrememly low latency. In summary it means that if you have a PC it would be quicker being 5G than connected to your usual home supplied broadband
AI Chatbots
At present, robot customer service assistants, designed to mimic humans, have been in their experimental stages. Over the next 18 months expect them to become the mainstream in areas of customer service and support. The biggest advantage of chatbots is that their performance is not affected by mental or physical exhaustion, ensuring a consistently optimal performance. However, they lack the intuition that only humans possess, but this is also being worked on, with developers looking to create more personable, human-centric robot assistants who can not only ensure engaging conversations but also predict what customers want.
Blockchain will be the norm
If you havent heard of Blockchain yet, don’t worry because you will do soon. Blockchain is actually nearly a decade old, but with the rise and rise of Bitcoin and other digital currencies it is only now becoming a technology that people have really started to get excited about. Blockchain’s excellent encrypted authentication mechanism makes it extremely challenging for hackers to break in and for anyone to trace (hence malware payments often being required in diggital currency). This is the reason why more companies will consider boosting enterprise security using blockchain.
As people who work in the IT support industry, we know that these changes can often cause confusion, especially when it comes to upgrading your current systems to cope with the new requirements that get introduced, but you needn’t be. As your local IT support specialists, we are always here to give free advice and help whenever needed.
