Technology has completely changed how businesses operate –helping them to mprove their operations and become more accessible to employees and customers. For this reason, staying on top of technology trends is crucial for any business to gain an advantage over competitors. To make things easy for you, here are the 5 business technology trends to look for in 2018!

With the holiday period over, it’s time for entrepreneurs and business owners to focus on what’s most important to them—the health of their business. The year has just started and businesses have a lot to look forward including new trends in technology. Whether you’re an established company or a startup, it is crucial for you to stay in top of the technology trends. Regardless of the market you serve or the industry you belong to, these trends will have an impact on your business.

Gartner—the American tech research and advisory firm, predicts that 2018 will be the year of intelligent systems. According to the company headquartered in Connecticut, intelligence will impact virtually every aspect of the business during the year. And, this is expected to be the key business technology trend to watch in 2018.  It is predicted that intelligent systems will cause a shift in existing business operations—paving the way for new models to take center stage. So, what are the top business technology trends that you can expect to see in 2018? Let’s find out.

Intelligent Apps and Analytics

It is predicted that in 2018, Artificial intelligence (AI) will be used by virtually every technology to enable autonomous, self-guiding processes or intelligent actions. And, as a result, incorporating Ai into their services, apps and platforms will be required by most businesses to gain a competitive edge. An example of this is CRM systems, which are now enabled with intelligent systems to get data on product lines, existing customer accounts, customer prospects, etc.

Contrary to popular belief, AI will not supplant human effort in 2018 instead it will supplement it. AI systems are there to assist human being not replace them so keep this in mind when making business decisions.

Digital Twins

Digital representations of real-life objects, digital twins are a major business technology trend to look for in 2018. These digital representations can help businesses to improve their operations and make them more efficient. For example, by equipping wind turbines with IoT sensors, you can monitor their physical existence for performance, maintenance issues and environmental data. While only a handful of businesses are using digital twins in their operations today, it is predicted that millions of businesses around the world will be using this business technology in the near future.

Intelligent Devices

Another business technology trend that will take center stage in 2018 is the use of intelligent devices by businesses. While this isn’t possible today, physical devices such as robots, drones, sensors and autonomous vehicles will collaborate with humans in the future to drive AI capabilities. Some technology experts believe that this will have a huge impact on businesses. In addition to informing production systems about the state of machines, AI technology in 2018 will be able to inform them about the state of people, which can be significantly benefit emergency health care services and other businesses in the healthcare sector.

Conversational Systems

Designed to answer basic queries related to location and weather, conversational system can be used to complete other more complex tasks such as buying tickets for a movie online. In the past, these systems required human involvement to accommodate machines. However, today there are more people-literate and can interact on a human level. Going into the future, this can be a major benefit for many businesses.

Blockchain

Today, all eyes are on blockchain due to the recent surge in the value of Bitcoin—a cryptocurrency enabled by the technology. While it is the technology enabling cryptocurrencies, Blockchain is not all about them. It has potential application in other areas as well including business operations. Businesses can resolve some the most pressing issues they face today such as keeping track of the supply chain and enabling a way to enforce smart contracts by using the innovative solutions provided by the blockchain technology.

It is crucial for businesses to be aware of the development in the blockchain applications, and closely follow the possibility of accepting cryptocurrency payments. A transactional exchange, blockchain enables the exchange of value without the involvement of an intermediary such as a bank. A shared, secured, distributed ledger, blockchain has the potential to make transactions more secure and less plagued with fraud and friction. Things other than cryptocurrencies that blockchain can be enable for include supply, healthcare, and distribution of content. While blockchain can enable many benefits for business, there is a danger—the technology is largely unregulated and in its infancy.

Augmented Reality

One of the goals of augmented reality (AR) is to bring the digital realm into real life. This provides customers with a great opportunity to interact with brands. While it may take some time for this technology trend to take center stage, you would do well to keep an eye on it in 2018. Also, think about how you can use this technology in your own marketing to provide potential customers with an enjoyable and unique experience not offered by any of your competitors.

There you have it—5 business technology trends to look for in 2018. In addition to these business technology trends, you should keep an eye on other technology trends relevant to your business or industry. You can find out about the 2018 business technology trends relevant to your business or industry by searching the internet or getting in touch with us today!

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Percento is a Professional IT Consulting, Implementation and Management firm.  To find out how we can help your organization, please contact one of our friendly sales representatives for a review of your system and a comprehensive (No Obligation) proposal of services. Call today toll-free at 800.614-7886 [Austin | Houston | The Woodlands | Dallas | San Antonio] or email us at sales@percentotech.com.