It’s a New Year with New Tech but the same old story. Businesses continue to be on the front end of developing technology while we question the ethics of some changes and get frustrated with the speed (or lack thereof) of others. So, let’s talk business tech trends from 2023 and going into 2024.
Business Tech Trend #1: AI
Let’s talk about the most significant business tech trends first – the many uses of artificial intelligence in our everyday lives! Not only have major corporation built their business from (or expanded into) generative AI, but every level of business, from Mom and POP stores to the world’s largest corporations, are beginning to incorporate it into their business practices.
There are multiple ways that businesses are using AI. Some are using it to generate content (not recommended), while others are finding ways to automate processes. Automation can be a great use of AI because it frees up humans to do the tasks that require them.
But we still need to be wary of relying too much on AI as it can get a lot wrong, and it can match the skill of a local marketing agency.
Low Code Programming
One of the coolest business tech trends that’s changed the way we do business is low-code programming. While AI can’t match humans in creativity, it’s excellent at processes.
That means you can tell it what you want something to do, and it can write the code to do it! Several websites have sprung up that do just that.
Troubleshooting
Another great way that AI can help is troubleshooting. Anyone who’s had a frustrating experience waiting on hold will love the ability that AI has to help you solve a problem!
Whether it’s a broken vacuum or an issue with your website, often telling Chat GPT or Google Bard what’s happening and what you’ve already tried is enough to get you to the next step in fixing it!
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality has come a long way! Though the metaverse hasn’t blown up quite as much as its founders may have predicted, VR covers far more than gaming and entertainment.
One major business tech trend has been the use of extended reality (XR), which covers virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. Though it hasn’t wholly trickled down to the mainstream just yet, some large companies are using XR for training, education, and product demos.
An Even More Distributed Workforce!
The distributed workforce is nothing new (I’ve been writing about it for years), but since work from home isn’t going anywhere, more companies have found ways to use business tech trends to make it work more seamlessly.
One way we offer IT Support for Southwest Virginia businesses is by setting up business telephone systems that allow working from anywhere. That could mean (as we described in a recent blog) using softphones or offering over-the-phone and in-person programming and repairs.
Security Business Tech Trends
Cameras
One of the biggest challenges about dividing emerging business tech trends is that one of the most significant trends is how different types of tech integrate with others. For example, security cameras are using more AI to track people and license plates than ever before!
Similarly, camera integration into our smartphones is tracking our expressions to give a more integrative and seamless experience. Not everyone likes that one, but it’s a fact.
Cybersecurity
One of the biggest cybersecurity trends is decidedly low-tech – more training! Companies are investing time in training their employees to be more aware of security and be more careful.
Most of the most significant tech breaches have been the result of human error, and most of the ones likely to happen in your own life are, too!
It’s hard to write anything about new business tech trends in cybersecurity because, in addition to it being highly specialized, it’s also constantly changing! As soon as a new security protocol is made public, someone starts working on breaking it! So, being careful and following cyber hygiene is crucial for personal and company information safety.
Phones
Two opposing business tech trends are happening simultaneously – more technologically advanced business phones and a lower reliance on business phones for our business telephone systems. It’s strange that the two are happening simultaneously, but both can be traced back to cell phones.
As cell phones became indistinguishable from computers or those little things they carried around in Star Trek, smartphones also became increasingly inseparable from our bodies. Our reliance on and the ubiquity of portable phones made desk phones seem a bit quaint.
With that said, businesses don’t do well with a central business phone system. So, we keep improving desk phones to make them more like smartphones. Simultaneously, we are creating ways for our cell phones to act as desk phones!
Softphones will continue to become a more significant part of the business telephone system ecosystem as we go into 2024 and beyond.
There are probably dozens (at least) more business tech trends we haven’t discussed as we’ve tried to focus on the ones more likely to affect the largest number of businesses. But what’s most crucial for your business may be something we haven’t discussed. Tell us what you think is the biggest business tech trend of 2023 and what you’re expecting from 2024!
