Technology is being adopted to a greater extent by most companies- from large organisations to the small corner cafes. Here are five potential future technology trends for business that are worth investigating for your business needs.
Everything is coming back to relationships and how PEOPLE can be involved in making decisions.
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There is a report that is released every year called the “Horizon Report” and even though it is based on the education sector (either K-12 or Higher Education) it has some key factors that can be applied to any company. This article goes into further detail and breaks down the forecast for the next five years.
Customisation
Learning is becoming more customised and so is customer service. I love it when I check in with websites I purchase and up come items that my previous preferences (or purchases) have identified with (for example Menulog). This argument goes two ways – is your privacy being respected or is it becoming more intuitive with our spending habits? The trend is for more shopping to happen online whether that is through an international retailer or within Australia.
Mobility
More devices will appear that will enable transactions, research and business without having to be powered or tethered to a cable. Smart watches are appearing on the market and laptops are being replaced, as being mobile is a key part of running a business. Tablet devices (Android or iPads) are quicker to start up, use for collaboration and customisation of data/apps. Restaurants are now using iPads for ordering meals and managing POS for the hospitality industry and this will continue to grow in the next 1-3 years.
BYOD
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is starting to happen in major businesses such as Rio Tinto and this article explains BYOD is a step to mobility and to plan mobile strategies around the technology integration rather than the devices itself. These can include making sure the wifi (data) is able to handle multiple devices. This won’t be applicable in all businesses as some still lock down the ability to work off BYOD or mobile devices due to security of data (great article on considerations for Business from the Australian Government). It also means that applications need to work across both platforms (Android and iOS).
Content
Content is being created just for individuals whether it is for learning, entertainment or the workplace. This will be managed by learning analytics (how we best learn) and it is already appearing in thing such as the Genius Mixes on the iTunes Store. It will be interesting to see how it impacts both products and services.
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Collaboration and Cloud Computing
When working with new clients, the easiest way for me to collaborate is to use either Evernote, Dropbox or to use Google Drive. Flexibility is the key to a successful business whether you are in the office or working from your home. Collaboration is a huge part of being creative and using expertise from wherever and whenever you choose. The connections that I have made virtually often end up being people I work with on a physical basis and it all comes back to being about “People”.
Everything at the moment is coming back to relationships and how PEOPLE can be involved in making decisions.
Featured Image Credit: Emma Brabrook
Megan Iemma
Megan Iemma is passionate about adult learning and translating complex technology to real world situations for education, corporate and community groups. As an experienced consultant and trainer she has worked in technology consulting and training in addition to being a fully qualified primary/secondary music teacher. Megan set up “Tech Coach HQ” to fulfil her passion for technology and learning. She is a co-founder of the Slide2LearnConferences which started in 2010. This is a world class Australian conference model with overseas attendees and presenters in the area of Mobile Learning in Education. You can connect with Megan on LinkedIn or Twitter.
jamie@bluepromocode
I’ve noticed more and more people using iPads as their main device at work. I think younger people especially are more adept at using mobile devices for productivity, so I think the trends you mention extend well beyond retail and into all professions.