IT in 2017 and beyond – what trends to expect

IT is developing at a scarily fast rate and businesses can either embrace it or ignore it; but the latter could mean they are left behind. There are over 2 billion people using smartphones and there will definitely be an increase in this number in 2017. It looks likely that IT advancements will surge throughout 2017; this is set to be the year of big changes in this industry. These are some of the 2017 trends expected and if you want to grow your business, it is worth considering introducing some of these.

Mobile Apps

We live in a world where everyone is attached to their mobile phones. A simple comment on Facebook can generate ‘likes’ within minutes and messages responded to within hours, such is the importance we place on reacting quickly to others on our mobile devices. With this in mind, it is important for businesses to take advantage of our ‘on the go’ attitude and to develop mobile apps for making purchases quickly. It is thought that more than 60% of businesses already have mobile apps or are planning to introduce these. It is very likely that the use of mobile apps will increase greatly in 2017, with most businesses using these to generate more customers. If you don’t already have a mobile app, it is worth considering the benefits it can offer your business.

Virtual Reality

2017 is the year we will see the use of virtual reality becoming commonplace for many industries. The gaming industry will definitely be exploring more virtual reality options and other industries such as event management, will be likely to make use of virtual reality. This technology can also help make meetings more effective, so if you want to stay ahead of the game, it is something you might want to look into.

Artificial Intelligence

We have already seen artificial intelligence take over jobs over the past years. Gone are the days when customers had to queue up with their shopping and wait for the teller to scan their items, there are now self-checkouts which can help people leave supermarkets as quickly as they entered. We have also seen the introduction of the first robot delivering a takeaway to a customer in London and this is likely to increase in 2017 and become commonplace in the next 5 years.

CMS

Content management systems are commonplace in many industries, but some have still to catch up with this trend. Industries such as recruitment, which are focused on human interaction, are likely to start adopting this technology in 2017. CMS is unlikely to replace jobs in this industry, but may be able to provide additional support to make processes run more smoothly. Recruitment is not the only industry who are lagging behind though and many will be looking forward at ways to improve their business through adopting CMS in 2017.

It may be worth your while to implement at least on of these 2017 trends to keep your business up to date with the latest technology. If you have any questions regarding any of these new trends, contact Cubit Technology to discuss.