The global IT industry has scaled to new heights in 2018, as the top 5 latest technology trends in information technology in 2018 are set to significantly shape the future of the business landscape around the world. As new trends in the IT sector continues to disrupt the competitive landscape of the global information and technology industry, the development of digital transformation technologies continues to impact businesses. Meanwhile, the newly emerging trends in information technology and innovations, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, artificial intelligence, cloud services and blockchain etc, are also some of the key factors that are facilitating and diversifying the IT industry’s growth in the future.
What is Information Technology (IT)
Information technology (IT) refers to the usage of any computers, storage, networking and any other software and hardware devices to create, process, store, secure and exchange all forms of electronic data. It covers several layers of physical equipment (hardware), virtualization and management or automation tools, operating systems and applications (software) used to perform essential communication functions. Therefore, IT is also considered to be a subset of information and communications technology (ICT).
How big is the technology industry? Just what is big data? What’s the Internet of Things (IoT)? These are common questions we hear as businesses shift their focus to a tech-oriented business landscape. To put it simply, tech is huge and new tech companies are all vying for that top spot — looking to be the next Facebook, the next Google etc. The big 5 tech companies doubled Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, and Facebook has roughly doubled in value since 2014. What is big data and why is it important? Data is just information. Your age is a data point, as is your name, your address, even your gender. Big data is large data sets from all the little bits of data a business or a website gathers. Big Data is an ongoing evolution/revolution in how data is used, stored and processed, whereas traditional data is more simple like the type of smaller data sets you find in Excel spreadsheets.
As current trends in technology constantly evolve, it’s important for new tech companies to keep up as they big companies adapt fast. You can’t perform as a tech company today if you can’t leverage data, and new tech companies are aware of this, so they are more focused now more than ever on staying on top of the latest technology trends in information technology.
The Global IT Industry Analysis
The global information technology (IT) industry surpassed $4.5 trillion in 2017, while the total spending in the global IT industry, including IT services, data center systems, enterprise software, and telecom services etc, is projected to be over $4.7 trillion in 2018. Continued to be dominated by the top 10 IT companies in the world, the global IT industry and IT service market are expected to keep the growing momentum for IT market growth. The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the largest and fastest growing segments in the global IT industry, reaching nearly $700 million value in 2016 and is expected to surpass $2 billion by 2021, registering an impressive Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 30% over the five-year period.
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According to a recent IT industry outlook from CompTIA, the development of hardware technology, cloud service, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial intelligence (AI), Data Security etc, are some of the major factors that will shape the future of IT. The following is our version of the disruptive technologies list we expect to take shape in 2018 and heading into the future.
Top 5 Latest Technology Trends in Information Technology 2018
1. Emerging hardware technologies will lead the way
As software becomes the driving force of many IT solutions, open source concepts allow far more people to build applications around technologies like the blockchain, natural language processing, or context-aware computing. Hardware technologies have also become vital, as IT industry vendors are expected to increasingly use drones, robotics, and 3D printing to explore more opportunities in the global IT industry, therefore the development of hardware technologies is projected to be one of the top IT industry trends for the next couple of years.
2. Cloud computing will be the fastest growing information technology (IT) paradigm
More and more businesses around the world are turning to cloud computing to help support their business development demands. Cloud services allow companies to offload data management, backend development, and even design so that their talent can focus on innovation. To achieve better IT results, companies must build or reconfigure the appropriate policies and workflow for a cloud-based approach. We expect cloud computing to continue being one of the most vital future trends in information technology.
3. Internet of Things will play a major role in business strategies
Internet of Things (IoT) devices are rapidly making their way into corporate spaces. From gathering new data to the automation of infrastructure, companies are finding many benefits from adding connectivity and intelligence to physical infrastructure. According to CompTIA, adding digital capabilities to everyday components will drastically increase the scope of IT responsibilities.
4. Artificial intelligence will stand out in the IT ecosystem
Artificial intelligence (AI) requires significant computer resources (which can be procured in the cloud), various algorithms allow learning (which can be baked into products or provided as a service) and contextual awareness (which can come from IoT devices or massive collections of data). By adding a layer of intelligence to the technical solutions they are building, companies can both manage a more extensive IT architecture and solve a broader range of problems.
5. Data security will be the top priority
One of the top trending technologies in computer science. IT services rely on digital technology to work faster, data security becomes a top priority. It’s difficult to improve security efforts when technology is updating so rapidly. Many businesses have increased investments in security, but beyond the technical aspects, organizations will also begin building business processes that enhance security. In order to adapt to the rapid IT development, companies will have to shift their security mindset from technology-based defenses to proactive steps that include technology, process, and education. In this top 5 disruptive technologies list, Data security will always be import among the latest technology trends in information technology.
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The Future of IT
Just how will the latest technology trends in information technology today shape the future? With the global demand for IT products and IT services continuing to soar, more and more companies and organizations around the world are already focusing on the new innovate technologies like IoT, AI and Cloud Computing to drive new growth that can help them build their own digital foundation and provide robust IT solutions for different business purposes. It’s expected that the global IT industry will maintain a double-digit growth rate over the near future, while these latest technology trends in information technology are forecasted to remain major factors that lead the IT industry evolution in the next few years.
What new technology coming out in the next 10 years do you think will disrupt the global IT industry? Let us know in the comments section.
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