In the business world, technology plays a fundamental role for innovation and operational efficiency. 2024 is a year of significant transformation, that is shaping and will keep shaping business future. Let’s explore together the main technological news of 2024, analyzing how these will influence the enterprise’s world.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) will play a key role for various aspects:
- Company’s operations automation
AI is already revolutionizing companies’ processes, improving their efficiency and reducing their costs. AI applications such as chatbot, virtual assistants and automation tools, are allowing companies to operate with better precision and rapidity. For example, chatbot can, at this point, manage customer service 24/7, while virtual assistants automate and streamline various administrative tasks.
- Predictive analysis
ML is offering increasingly more predictive analysis tools that can be useful to foresee market trends and to take more informed strategic decisions. Tools like google analytics or IBM watson allow to analyze great quantities of data to find patterns and models and make accurate predictions to improve company’s strategy.
Cloud computing and hybrid infrastructures
Cloud computing is also contributing to digitalization of enterprises operations, let’s see how:
- Hybrid cloud adoption
Hybrid cloud solutions are increasingly more popular thanks to their qualities of flexibility, scalability and safety. Big companies, such as Netflix, use hybrid cloud to balance the workload between local infrastructures and public cloud services, to guarantee operational continuity, data protection and services’ rapidity.
- Advanced cloud computing services
The main cloud providers, such as AWS, Google and Microsoft Azure, continuously innovate and are beginning offering integrated AI and data analysis services. These innovations allow companies to leverage the power of cloud to improve rapidity, efficiency and technology.
Advanced cyber security
Cyber security is one of the main questions for business in the technology era in which we live, since it is fundamental for data protection and privacy of both the users and the companies.
- New threats and new solutions
With the increase in cyber threats, safety solutions have to be increasingly more reliable and functional. AI, blockchain and other innovative technologies are increasingly emerging as effective defenses against ransomware attacks (a malicious computer program that can “infect” a digital device (PC, tablet, smartphone, smart TV), blocking the access to all or some of its contents (photos, videos, files, etc.) and then ask for a ransom to be paid to “free them”) and phishing (IT scam carried out by sending an email with the counterfeit logo of a credit institution or an e-commerce company, in which the recipient is invited to provide confidential data, such as credit card number or password to access the home banking service, justifying such request for technical reasons). Darktrace, for example, use AI to detect and respond automatically to cyber threats in real time.
- Compliance and data protection
Very important for data protection and privacy is regulatory compliance to laws such as GDPR or CCPA. Tools like OneTrust help companies to manage data privacy, guaranteeing regulatory compliance and avoiding, this way, sanctions.
Augmented and Virtual Reality
Augmented reality (AR) and Virtual reality (VR) are another crucial point of technology innovation for business.
– AR and VR applications:
AR and VR are completely transforming sectors such as education, design, marketing and sales. The Swedish giant IKEA, for example, uses AR to allow customers to view the compositions of furniture and furnishings in their homes before purchasing, improving customer engagement and experience.
- Innovation in devices and platforms
New AR and VR devices such as Oculus 2 or Microsoft Hololens 2 are revolutionizing the market by offering immersive gaming experience, but also applications of VR and AR in industry, enterprise and education. These platforms offer integrated solutions that improve efficiency and facilitate the adoption of emerging technologies.
Blockchain and Crypto currencies
Even if blockchain and crypto currencies have been existing for a long time, lately we are rediscovering their value in the business technology world.
- Applications for business
Blockchain (distributed recording technology that enables the creation of an immutable and shared digital ledger, where transactions are stored in blocks cryptographically linked together and distributed across a network of nodes) is improving traceability and transparency of supply chains. Sectors such as Logistic and finance adopt this technology to improve operational safety and efficiency. IBM food trust, for example, uses blockchain to trace the origin of foods, improving food safety and trust in the producers.
- Crypto currencies and digital payments
Crypto currencies are an increasingly more used and widespread payment method. The growth of crypto currencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum is transforming the global commerce, streamlining it and making it more fluid.
Technology for business: conclusions
Technology is transforming the business world by offering always more opportunities to innovate and make more efficient. For a company that wants to remain competitive it is paramount to keep up with the trends and to go into detail with the possible applications of them.