Upcoming Trends in Tech

UPCOMING TRENDS IN TECH

Like any tech lover, sometimes I like to take some time to look ahead and wonder what’s in store on the technology front. And as I ponder what the future has in store for businesses across Canada, the following key tech trends come to mind:

E-Wallets are coming. Canadian banks launched their first pilot programs to support smartphone-based payments in 2012, and these types of programs should see rapid expansion as the technology matures and more Canadians purchase ecommerce-capable devices (usually equipped with NFC chips). Businesses of all types will need to get up to speed as more customers increasingly expect mobile payment options.

Touch, touch, touch. First it was smart phones, then tablets. Now, laptop and desktop computers are increasingly shipping with touch-based screens. Over the next year, a rising tide of touch-enabled hardware will begin to change how work gets done in and out of the office.

Higher cloud adoption rates. The cloud will continue to make inroads, and by year’s end we can expect it to touch even the most resistant businesses. The reasons are easy to see, and few revolutions promise as much efficiency and agility as the cloud.

The need for desktop and mobile device security. Hackers and scammers continue to up their game. Traditional spam and phishing techniques are being replaced by more sophisticated social engineering attacks that make it even easier for them to get at our confidential information. Identity theft continues to be a major concern for businesses and consumers. This will hopefully prompt businesses in all sectors to increase their focus on online security in 2013.

But there is a silver lining: security vendors are also getting better at fighting threats, and the array of protective products and services has never been as extensive. Expect them to continue to maintain the upper hand as the year wears on.

Everything connecting to the Internet. Not so long ago, the only thing that went online was a computer or mobile device. These days, almost anything can be Internet-enabled, and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication – technology that allows machines to talk back and forth with each other – will be coming out in a big way. This will open up a whole new marketplace full of opportunities for Canadian businesses.

Computerization. The so-called bring your own device (BYOD) revolution is changing the face of corporate technology. Increasingly, employees are bringing their own laptops, tablets and smartphones to work, and insisting on being hooked up. The BYOD wave will intensify in 2013, and companies that have held off on letting consumer-based tech into the corporate landscape will have fewer reasons to say no.

The Bottom Line

Only time will tell precisely how these trends will play out, and how they’ll impact your particular organization, but one thing is certain – the opportunities for organizations that embrace this tech-forward future are almost limitless. What new or emerging technology has you most excited?