While we may have started a new year and many of us would like to adopt a “new year, new me” mentality, the reality is that we still largely face the same challenges that were presented to us last year. We're in the midst of seismic shifts in the economy, technology, and nature of business.
Even though the coronavirus is only 100 nanometers across it has catalyzed big changes that will continue to affect the way we work and live long after the virus is eradicated. The story of 2021 will be driven by finding the right balance between humans, technology, and the economy.
Edge computing brings the potential for faster, less expensive, and more secure operation in everything from autonomous vehicles to virtual reality to the internet of things.
Many organizations consider deploying edge computing due to the cost savings alone. Some companies that have embraced the cloud for their resources may have found that the costs in bandwidth were higher than they expected. As edge computing matures, though, the biggest benefit of it is the ability to process data faster and enable more efficient applications for companies.
With edge computing, the world appears to be on track to a fourth industrial revolution.
Moving to the cloud is not only helping organizations deal with a pandemic, it’s also positioning them to thrive beyond it.
A cloud migration involves moving digital assets (e.g. data, workloads, IT resources, or applications) to a cloud infrastructure. When you initiate a cloud migration, you are moving tools and data from old infrastructure or an on-premise data center to the modern cloud. Businesses realize value in many ways by working in the cloud. Namely, working in the cloud gives you access to nearly limitless computer resources and access can be rapidly scaled up or down based on need.
The growth of cloud services is likely to continue in 2021 and beyond.
Meet the next generation radio access network also known as O-RAN. Deloitte predicts that more than 80% of core wireless network deployments will be virtualized by 2023 and O-RAN has the potential to revolutionize the telecom industry.
COVID-19 protocols have given virtual reality headsets an opportunity to prove their usefulness in the enterprise and in education.
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are being adopted by industrial and manufacturing companies. To get around pandemic induced in-person training restrictions, groups are training employees on tasks like hazardous material handling, wind turbine configuration, and jet engine maintenance through the application of VR and AR.
Deloitte is projecting that unit sales of virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality headsets will double over 2019 levels.
Of all the activities that COVID-19 brought online, video doctors visits may be the one that caused the most personal trepidation. But with many people changing their minds and virtual meetings becoming the standard, we expect that video doctors visits will become the new normal for the long term.
Most of these shifts were already in the process of happening but the last year has caused their implementation and adoption timelines to be pulled forward by years, or even decades, because of the pandemic. Organization's trying to strategize and plan their investments may want to focus their efforts on solutions that give them the most flexibility and adaptability for a rapidly changing world. Our 2021 guide to technology investment and strategy is great resource to use when you start plotting your course.
When COVID is removed from the equation will our post pandemic world see change decelerate? Only time will tell but one thing is for sure, our trajectory has been permanently altered. If you have any questions or concerns about your business technology, please contact us by phone at 800.833.8000 or by email at hello@twinstate.com.