5 Technology Trends That Will Make Or Break Many Careers In 2018 Posted on : Jan 15 - 2018

Technology is bringing about seismic changes to just about every aspect of our modern lives. In 2018 we will see self-driving cars, artificially intelligent doctors and deliveries carried out by drones.

Contrary to what many seem to think, you don’t need to be a software engineer or computer scientist to be a leader in the digital revolution. More vital is the ability to match technological solutions with existing business problems in innovative ways.

However, this does mean that an understanding of the underlying forces and mechanics driving these trends is critical. So here is my overview of 5 trends which I think should be firmly on the radar of anyone setting out to make digital waves this year.

1. Data is everywhere, and growing at an ever-increasing rate

We are creating an unprecedented amount of data as we live our lives. From social media to the digital footprint we leave as we use services like Netflix or Fitbit or connected systems at work. Every second, 900,000 people hit Facebook, 452,000 of us post to Twitter, and 3.5 million of us search for something on Google.

This is happening so rapidly that the amount of data which exists is doubling every two years, and this growth (and the opportunities it provides) is what we call Big Data.

The sheer value of this data means an industry as well as an enthusiastic, non-commercially driven community has grown around Big Data. Whereas just a few years ago only giant corporations would have the resources and expertise to make use of data at this scale, a movement towards “as-a-service” platforms has reduced the need for big spending on infrastructure. This explosion in data is what has made many of today’s other trends possible, and learning to tap into the insights will increase anyone’s prospects in just about any field.

2. Smart things

In what now seems like the “olden days”, only computers could connect to the internet. Maybe, if they were very advanced, some phones could to. Today you can buy lightbulbs, refrigerators, cars, watches, kettles, thermostats and many other “smart”, and therefore connected, objects. In industry, machines are increasingly being built to communicate with each other with less need for human input, in order to more efficiently carry out tasks. Collectively this trend is known as “Internet of Things”, because it isn’t just an internet of computers and phones any more!

Intel forecasts that by 2020 there will be 200 billion devices connected to the internet. Data from these devices can help us to make better decisions about our lives (such as monitoring our exercise habits with Fitbit) as well as in business. There are huge opportunities out there for those who are able to develop products and services based around this data, and potential here is really only limited by imagination. View More