7 Huge Technology Trends You Should Know Going Into 2021

Technology has constantly been evolving and will continue to do so throughout 2021. For the retail industry, over 100 million consumers are predicted to use artificial and augmented reality as part of their shopping experiences as the new year approaches.

The entertainment industry in particular has been able to provide different platforms to stream events that were once supposed to be completely in-person; tech companies are growing in size as their use of AI now has added importance due to increased usage; and most importantly, the medical field was able to use AI and GPS systems to track the COVID-19 outbreak, helping people across the world better prepare for the imminent spread.

Overall, businesses’ future technology predictions will bring great benefits to all parties involved, whether it be employees’ work lives, consumers’ experience while shopping, and potentially tons of additional data being gathered to understand their market. It’ll be crucial for companies to stay on top of the latest trends, take them on in the upcoming year, and use the technology to execute successful business strategies.

Emerging Tech Trends 2021

As 2021 nears, future technology predictions are continuing to emerge. Following consumer behaviors and habits, the digital era will evolve with it. Businesses are relying on tech more and more as the years go on, below is a list of the most recent trends that will be taken on for years to come:

1. AI: Companies in 2021 will be incorporating artificial intelligence into their business plans more than ever before. This goes for most, if not all industries; with the overall productivity rate of businesses likely to increase as this technology is able to scan large amounts of data and take over repetitive tasks. Specifically, in the health industry, AI will be able to collect more patient data, infection rates, and make clearer predictions on any future global diseases that could spread. Another example would be Amazon’s use of AI and how the platform collects consumers’ browsing history to produce suggested products to the users, as well as predicting what customers need before they even need it, thanks to the platform’s predictive algorithm.

2. Cybersecurity: COVID-19 has been one of the leading factors towards the growth of this service, cybersecurity will also be seeing a rise in 2021 as workers are currently using their personal computers to get work accomplished from their homes. These computers are usually not set up with the same security systems that company computers have leading to a 600% increase in attacks on cloud servers since the start of the pandemic. In response to this, many businesses will be adapting to higher cybersecurity practices, and working with experts in this field to help keep company data safe from theft. Apple’s cloud has even turned to higher security to protect employees working from home as well as offering a Cloud Security Command Center through Google to let businesses know of any vulnerabilities throughout their servers.

3. 5G Networks: The new network 5G will be adopted by many companies offering consumers with the fastest service yet. This network will also be utilized by different industries to create a quicker buying and checkout process for its customers. Mobile communications companies Apple and T-Mobile will be one of the first to launch a 5G mobile network to their customers, offering them the quickest form of communication to date.

4. Virtual & Augmented Reality: When looking to cater to consumer needs, businesses will be developing new virtual and augmented reality services to provide their customers with “in-person” experiences. While virtual use will create an environment for its users, augmented reality will increase a users’ experience, either option will be utilized by companies to increase engagement between consumers and their brands to increase conversions.

5. CDP: With AI being able to process excessive amounts of data, Customer Data Platforms will be created to help people collect and read valuable information while getting rid of unnecessary data. Each year around $3 trillion is wasted on irrelevant customer data, meaning the use of CDP has the capacity to dramatically reduce this number and save companies from unimportant spending.

6. Work From Home: Employees working from home will remain a trend in 2021. Companies have been figuring out new ways to successfully make this work, and moving forward it is likely they will also be able to downsize on building rental spaces. Different platforms will be adopted for better communication between employees, monitoring purposes for managers, and team organization structures. For businesses looking for ways to monitor their employees, platforms such as TimeDoctor, Toggl, and Rescue Time are great options; for organization and communication purposes, Slack, Google Hangouts, Asana, and Ryver are also options to consider.

7. Voice Search Optimization: Voice search tech devices such as Alexa and Siri will increase in popularity within the next year. Voice search optimization is one of the most convenient methods of gaining information and businesses have already started to add voice search key terms and phrases into their content to help rank with consumer searches.

AI transforming digital experience seems to be the repeating factor throughout technology trends in 2021. As the digital era continues, more businesses will need to adapt to this technology to keep up with consumer experiences and ROI.

What Brands Are Utilizing The Latest Technology Trends?

New tech is being developed as 2020 comes to end meaning that next year industries will see increased use of a combination of these trends. As for now, these two examples are showing their industries the benefits of tech use.

Retail: Retail brand Asos is using their app to provide an augmented reality for its users. The brand currently has over 100 products that can be viewed with AR, allowing customers to point their phones on an open wall, click a button, and have a model “virtually” appear in the space and walk around. This allows consumers to see what Asos’ products would look like if the consumers were in-person shopping for the products.

Healthcare: Healthcare company Lemonaid has created an app for consumers to help them schedule telehealth appointments. Once connected with a doctor, patients are able to chat virtually using the app as AI collects the person’s medical history while the call is in session meaning doctor’s have immediate access to all the relevant information. Cybersecurity is also used through this app as a way to protect patients from any of their personal information being accessed by hackers.

Conclusion

2021 is likely to see huge increases in digital and new tech usage. Industries will need to adapt if they want to better reach consumers, take better care of employees, gain more insightful information, and create better customer experiences that are likely to lead to sales. All industries are able to adapt, it’ll just be up to which businesses decide to prioritize these upcoming trends before they become common practices.