Business and technology are two concepts that go hand-in-hand. Technology has transformed the way businesses do everything, and new developments tend to help them be more productive and efficient in the way they operate.
Smart business owners work to stay on the leading edge of technology trends, and most are already looking well ahead into 2017 as they make their strategic plans.
The following are some key technology trends likely to impact the business world in 2017, including both small business and larger corporations.
Intelligent Apps
Independent IT research firm Gartner recently released its own list of the Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2017, and one of the top things on that list was the intelligent app. Intelligent apps take on a lot of the features of artificial intelligence, which is also expected to be particularly impactful in 2017.
These apps can then streamline business processes and make the workplace more efficient.
One example of intelligent apps that might be particularly relevant in the business world is the virtual personal assistant (VPA).
VPAs can be used to take on the traditional roles that an assistant would do, such as prioritizing and managing tasks.
Another trend, aside from the general rise of VPAs, is likely to be the integration of these tools with other artificial intelligence platforms such as marketing applications. It's all an integration of big data that's shaping the way businesses appeal to customers.
Cyber Security
The importance and relevance of cyber security isn't something that's going to diminish in 2017. If anything, it's going to come to the forefront of focus for most businesses, and will also be increasingly important to even very small organizations.
This comes amid reports of how much data breaches cost companies. For example, the notorious data breach of The Home Depot cost the company $56 million, and the recent Target breach racked up a cost of $162 million.
Some of the specifics related to cyber security that may be particularly relevant in 2017 include an increase in ransom attacks resulting in a focus on protecting systems in this particular area.
Businesses are also likely to face increasing regulations from the federal government regarding safeguarding against data breaches, so companies will likely invest more in the technology that will allow them not just to protect themselves but also to remain complaint.
Another specific potential technology innovation in 2017 will be the implementation of security architecture that's adaptive. It combines the role of traditional IT security with advanced smart technology so businesses will be able to have devices and systems that can inherently learn how to protect themselves against changing threats.
Virtual Reality
Virtual reality is no longer a far-fetched idea, and instead, it's a real piece of technology that's likely to play a pretty significant role in the business world in 2017.
Virtual reality isn't new, but it's just starting to become something that's viable in the commercial setting, and it's no longer exclusively used for entertainment.
A big way businesses can consider virtual reality as part of their technology strategy in 2017 would be with regard to their employee learning and development programs. Businesses have poured tons of money into employee training programs, only to get minimal results. Most companies are constantly looking for new options to improve employee training, and virtual reality may be the answer.
Employees will have the opportunity to be immersed in real-life situations and training scenarios, which will allow them to perform business tasks without fear or risk of failure.
The hope is that by using virtual reality for workplace training, training will be more effective and productivity will increase.
Virtual reality also has the potential to play a role in sales and marketing. Marketers have faced the problem of not being able to convince customers to make a purchase of a product when they've never tried it, or they don't know how it works. VR technology represents the opportunity to sidestep that hurdle and have potential customers get a robust experience of the product before making a buying decision.
3-D Printing
3-D printing is another technology element that's not new, but its uses are going to grow and expand in 2017 and carry more important applications in the business world. Analysts are looking at opportunities businesses will have in terms of not just creating the component itself from 3-D printing, but instead the ability to use it as intellectual property.
This means companies will make the designs for various products and parts, and then other businesses and clients will pay them for the rights to the intellectual property that will likely be offered as a download.
It can represent a unique and different approach to manufacturing and the creation of a variety of products.
Regardless of where the trends take businesses, 2017 is shaping up to be an exciting technological year, with the increasing developments in artificial and business intelligence to unique ways to shape our reality and the experiences of both employees and customers.
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