The 2024 party glasses have been relegated to the junk drawer, and we are once again back to regular old life with work, school, and meals that include green vegetables. The nerve! What isn’t the same year-after-year is the technology we rely on and use in all facets of life.
Gone are the days when we waited more than a year for the newest version of Microsoft Office. Technological advancements are happening at a pace that would embarrass a hummingbird’s wings.
Here are five tech trends we can expect to see in this last year of the first quarter of the 21st century:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) — “I’m shocked AI is at the top of this list!” said nobody who used ChatGPT last year. AI and its soulmate Machine Learning (ML) are part of a digital revolution not unlike the invention of computers. AI and ML are being utilized to thwart cybercriminals, simplify and automate data analysis, and make everything from the innovative(apps and image generation) to the mundane (scheduling) faster and more efficient.
For instance, RapidScale, a leading managed cloud platform owned by Cox Communications, built dozens of custom AI solutions for its customers in the last six months, to accelerate business performance and create improved customer experiences. RapidScale’s AI/ML & Big Data service is used to help optimize business operations and drive efficiency for our customers’ businesses. AI is at the top of this list because it’s going to have an impact in just about everything this year and beyond.
Cloud Computing — No, there aren’t numbers and codes floating around above our heads. The so-called “cloud” is basically the server in a closet, only bigger. A lot bigger. (Think warehouse. Think many warehouses.)
Cloud migration is the way of the future, and this will only speed up in 2024. Yet, like a kitchen remodel that goes over budget, it can bring with it unexpected costs. A new survey from RapidScale revealed that the promise of enhanced operational efficiency was temporarily hampered by complexities of the migration.
With 26% of leaders anticipating lowered IT costs, and 35% of migrations delayed or stalled, 57% of IT decision-makers admitted they underestimated the task. The survey highlighted the importance of strategic planning, and organizations are adapting by adjusting migration volumes, investing in new apps, and hiring new talent. Additionally, AI can be implemented to identify opportunities to simplify management and optimize efficiency.
Ultimately, organizations will enjoy greater scalability, cost efficiency, global reach, and elasticity, among a host of benefits. And with redundancy and backup, there are no dark clouds overhead for businesses utilizing the cloud.
Cyber Resilience — Cybersecurity takes a defensive focus in protecting computer systems, networks, and data. Cyber resilience has an offensive component that helps an organization prevent, withstand, and recover from a cyber-attack as well as natural disasters and extreme weather.
Currently, Cox Business customers can build their cyber resilience with our Security as a Service portfolio (SECaaS). One of Cox Business’s greatest strengths, SECaaS combined security expertise and technology partnerships to build an effective and affordable security stack that serves as a gateway to productivity and growth. And who knows? Maybe someday sooner than later we’ll all have access to Clean My Home Office For Me as a Service (CMHOFMaaS).
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) — One need only look to the 2023 Hollywood actor’s strike as proof that AI is part of us now. The actors’ beef, however, is a gamer’s delight what with the enhanced visual fidelity, revolutionary vision tracking, and haptic feedback suits, all a result of advancing VR and AR technology. Other industries like manufacturing and retail, healthcare and education will benefit, too.
Sustainable Technology (Green Tech) — We all want a healthy planet for our kids and grandkids and all the greats to come after that. As the world confronts the impacts of climate change on our physical and economic environments, Green Tech is central to everything. Without it, not even AI will matter.
Fortunately, AI is informing sustainability, and strategies like circular economy initiatives (i.e. product design focused on recyclability and reusability), community and off-grid solutions, and ethical sourcing of materials, are just three of many examples of what Green Tech can be. Cox Enterprises entered 2024 with hard commitments to its goals of zero waste to landfill by 2024 and being carbon and water neutral by 2034.
Keep your eyes peeled for these and other tech trends this year but try not to blink, because you might miss something. Oh, and if you want to be green tech at home, set down the iPhone, clean out that junk drawer and make sure your New Year glasses make it to the recycling bin.