2020 is shaping to be a big year in technological development, promising to deliver a huge number of new tech that could potentially transform our lives. That is unless the coronavirus doesn’t cause a zombie apocalypse first. Joking aside, the speed at which the technology evolves is amazing, and getting faster with each passing year. In turn, that allows for new and exciting changes and progress. Naturally, this increased the speed of future technological research, creating a snowball effect that can lead to some amazing things.
Here are some of the most significant tech trends for 2020.
Internet of Things
Internet of Things isn’t a new concept, but it has been made possible on a massive scale only recently. In 2020 we may see this significant tech trend gain a lot of popularity. Already the number of devices connected through IoT is numbered in billions. By the end of 2020, it should reach 30 billion. The main areas IoT will improve are safety, decision-making, and efficiency. The data collected through the network will enable machines to indicate when preventive maintenance is needed, preventing breakdowns and lost productivity. The main bottleneck to further development is the insufficient number of IT professionals trained in IoT. Some sources claim that we will need additional 200,000 of them by 2022. So, if you are looking for a new IT career, this may be worth looking into.
Blockchain
It would seem that we are entering the age of fast, cheap, and anonymous online payments. The blockchain technology will make all that possible and all. Industries like i-Gaming stand to benefit a lot from it. Online gambling in casinos like Video Slots Casino will be much easier. For starters, you won’t have to wait for your deposit or withdrawal to clear, often for days. All blockchain transactions are almost instant. They will also be cheaper, so no more ridiculous banking fees. The amount you pay per a blockchain transaction is minuscule. Finally, you won’t have to explain to your significant other those pesky banking statements. All transactions are anonymous and can’t be traced to either sender or recipient.
5G Is Coming
2019 was a rocky year for 5G technology. After many legal battles and technological difficulties, all four carriers in the United States rolled out their 5G networks. The 5G technology employs three bands for varying coverage, all working on different frequencies delivering different ranges and speeds. The lower the frequency, the tower can cast a signal further, but at lower speeds. Higher frequencies are much faster, but their range suffers. That is why the low band is intended for rural areas, with a single tower covering huge swaths of land, while the mid-band is reserved for metro areas, with higher population density. The high band, delivering ultra-fast connection, will cover urban city centers. Their limited range won’t be an issue there. With the ability to deliver an incredible amount of data to mobile users, 5G will transform mobile internet entirely.
Cybersecurity
As more and more things are moving online, the need for efficient cybersecurity is growing at an unprecedented rate. In fact, it is growing at a pace three times faster than the whole IT industry on average. By the end of 2021, there will be 3.5 million vacant jobs in cybersecurity, making it a great career opportunity. Even salaries in the six-figure range seem to be failing to attract eligible candidates. This could prove to be critical, as the number of services that need protection increases almost exponentially every year. While security is evolving, so are the hackers and their tools. These days, they are able to do things that were unimaginable just a decade ago. The threat is real and it isn’t going away any time soon.
Edge Computing
Edge computing is a fairly new term, created to describe a new type of data processing. With cloud computing becoming mainstream and everything moving from local servers to remote ones, it made sense that processing should also follow suit. The latency caused by the distance between processing units and the data they needed has become unacceptable in some cases. If you are doing any real-time application, cloud solutions may not be a viable option for you. The trouble is that the cloud offers too many advantages to be simply abandoned. The need for a new type of processing was growing and the answer is edge computing. With processors located “on the edge” of the clod, they can access data much faster. That means they can deliver results much faster as well. Edge computing will play a crucial role in developing other technologies, like the Internet of Things.
Robotic Process Automation
Robots have been with us for quite some time and their presence will only increase in 2020. In fact, technologies like Robotic Process Automation can usher a new age of robotics. Opening and closing parking gates or precision welding are areas that we are used to robots doing the work. But if we can teach them to do some percentage of work of a physician, or financial manager? Those times can be closer than you think. According to some studies, up to 45% of all current work activities, including the ones we mentioned above, can be automated. Simply put, robots can do almost half of the work today. That percentage will only increase in the future, slowly, but surely reducing the need for human labor.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution is upon us and 2020 and the following years can be crucial in determining how we shall adapt to it. The challenges we face are dwarfed only by the opportunities we are given and it is up to us to decide which of them will define us.