8 Technology Trends That Are All Set to Rock 2020!
8 Technology Trends That Are All Set to Rock 2020!
Technology is now changing at such a rapid rate that annual trend forecasts may appear out-of-date before they even go live as a blog post or article written. When technology advances, it allows for even quicker change and development,
allowing the rate of change to increase, until it finally becomes exponential.
Technology-based professions aren’t shifting at the same pace, but they’re growing, and the experienced IT specialist knows his or her position
won’t remain the same. And a 21st century IT worker should be actively learning (of necessity if not desire).
What does mean to you? It means keeping up to date with developments in technology. And it also refers to keeping
your eyes on the future, knowing what skills you need to know and what kinds of jobs you want to be skilled at. Here are 8 technology trends that you should be looking for in 2020, and some of the jobs that those trends will create.
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Artificial Intelligence:
In recent years, Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has already received a lot of buzz, but it remains a trend to watch because its effects on how we live , work and play are only in the early stages. AI refers to computer systems designed to mimic human intelligence and perform tasks such as image recognition, voice or patterns, and decision taking. AI can do these tasks more quickly and with greater accuracy than humans. Every day, five out of six Americans use AI services in one form or another, including navigation apps, video services, personal mobile assistants, ride-sharing apps, home staff assistants and smart home devices. In addition to consumer usage, AI is used, among many other money-saving tasks, to schedule trains, assess business risk, predict maintenance and improve energy efficiency.
AI is one aspect of what we generally refer to as automation, and automation is a hot subject due to possible job losses. Experts predict that robotics will kill another 73 million jobs by 2030. However, automation creates and eliminates jobs, especially in the field of AI: experts predict 23 million jobs in AI by 2020. Jobs will be developed, to name but a few, in development, programming, testing, support, and maintenance.
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Machine Learning:
A subset of AI is Machine Learning. Computers are programmed with Machine Learning to learn how to do what they are not programmed to do: they learn by finding patterns and insights from the data. We generally have two types of learning, supervised and unmonitored. Although Machine Learning is an AI sub-set, we do have Machine Learning sub-sets including neural networks, natural language processing ( NLP), and deep learning. Each of these sub-sets offers a chance to specialize in a career area that can only expand. Machine learning is being rapidly applied in all kinds of sectors, generating tremendous demand for trained professionals. The demand for machine learning is expected to rise to $8.81 billion by 2022. Applications of machine learning are used for data analysis, data mining and pattern recognition. On the consumer end, web search results, real-time ads, and network intrusion detection are powered by machine learning, to name just a few of the many tasks it can do. It is creating jobs in addition to accomplishing countless tasks on our behalf. Machine learning jobs ranks top on LinkedIn, with nearly 2,000 listed job listings. And these jobs pay good: A machine learning engineer’s median salary in 2017 was $106,225.
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Robotic Process Automation (RPA):
Robotic Process Automation, or RPA, is another technology that automates work, as is AI and Machine Learning. RPA is the usage of software to automate business processes such as application interpretation, transaction processing, data handling and even email reply. RPA automates the repeat tasks people used to perform. These are not just a low-paid worker’s menial tasks: up to 45% of the tasks we do can be automated, including the work of financial administrators, physicians and CEOs.
While Forrester Research estimates that RPA automation will threaten the livelihood of about 230 million or more knowledge workers or around 9 per cent of the global workforce, RPA also creates new jobs while altering existing jobs. McKinsey notes that it is possible to completely automate fewer than 5 percent of jobs, but about 60 percent can be partially automated. RPA offers a wealth of career opportunities for you as an IT professional looking to the future and trying to understand technology trends, including developer, project manager , business analyst, solution architect, and consultant. And those jobs are paying off well. -
Edge Computing:
Cloud computing has formerly been a technology phenomenon to watch, with major players leading the market, including AWS (Amazon Web Services), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud. Cloud computing adoption is still growing, as more and more businesses are transitioning to a cloud solution. Yet this is not the latest technology anymore.
As the amount of data we’re dealing with continues to increase, in some cases we’ve realized the shortcomings of cloud computing. Edge computing is intended to help address some of those problems as a way to circumvent the lag caused by cloud computing and bring data to a processing center. If you like, it can live “on the bottom,” closer to where the computation needs to happen. Of this purpose, edge computing may be used to process time-sensitive data with minimal to no access to a centralized location at remote location. Edge computing will behave like mini datacenters in those cases. Edge computing will increase as Internet of Things ( IoT) apps become more commonly used. The global edge computing market is expected to hit $6.72 billion by 2022. As with every rising sector, this will generate several different jobs, primarily for software engineers. -
Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality:
Virtual Reality (VR) immerses the user in an environment while Augment Reality (AR) enhances the environment. Even though VR has been used mainly for gaming up to now, it has also been used for training, as with VirtualShip, a simulation platform used to train U.S. Captains of the Navy, Army, and the Coast Guard. An example of AR is the popular Pokémon Go.
Both VR and AR have tremendous potential for fitness, entertainment, education, marketing and even after injury recovery. As with this Pepsi Max bus shelter, either it could be used to train doctors to do surgery, offer museum-goers a deeper experience, enhance theme parks, or even improve marketing. There are major players on the VR market, such as Google, Samsung, and Oculus, but many startups are forming and will be hiring, and demand for VR and AR skills professionals will only increase. It doesn’t take much advanced knowledge to get started in VR. Basic programming skills & forward thinking mentality will produce a work, but other employers may also search for optics as a skill set and hardware engineers.
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Cybersecurity:
Cybersecurity may not seem like new technology, considering it’s been around for a while, but it’s developing just like other technologies. That’s partly because threats are ever-new. The malevolent hackers who are attempting to access data illegally will not give up any time soon, and will try to find ways to get past even the toughest security measures. It’s partly also because modern technology is being applied to improve health. So long as we have hackers, as an new technology, we will have cyber defense, as it will continuously grow to protect against those hackers.
As evidence of the growing need for cybersecurity experts, cybersecurity positions are rising three times faster than other tech jobs. When it comes to filling those vacancies, though, we are falling short. Consequently, it is estimated that by 2021 we will have 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs.
Most information security positions pay six-figure salaries, and responsibilities can vary from an ethical hacker to a software expert to a Chief Security Officer, offering a lucrative career path for someone who wants to get into this realm and stay on. -
Blockchain:
While most people think about blockchain technology in relation to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, blockchain provides security that is useful in many other ways. Blockchain can be defined in the simplest terms as data that you can only add to, not take away or modify. Hence the word “chain,” as you are building a data chain. Unable to change the preceding blocks is what makes it so secure. Furthermore, blockchains are powered by consensus, so that no single individual can take ownership of the data. You don’t need a trusted third party with blockchain to manage or verify the transactions. Blockchain-related jobs are the second fastest growing job category, with 14 job openings for every single blockchain developer, according to Techcrunch.com. A Blockchain developer specializes in designing and implementing blockchain technology design and solutions. A blockchain developer’s average annual salary is $130,000. If you’re intrigued by Blockchain and & applications and want to start your career in this fast-growing industry then it’s the perfect time to learn Blockchain and get ready for an exciting future.
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Internet of Things (IOT):
With WiFi connectivity, many “things” are now being built, meaning they can be connected to the Internet — and to each other. The Internet of Things , or IoT, is thus. The Internet of Things is the future and has already made it possible to connect and share data over the Internet to computers, home appliances, automobiles and much more. And we’re only in the early stages of IoT: by 2020, the number of IoT devices reached 8.4 billion in 2017 is set to reach 30 billion devices. We are already using and benefiting from IoT, as consumers. If we forget to go to work and preheat our ovens on our way home from work, we can lock our doors remotely, all while monitoring our fitness on our Fitbits & hailing a ride with Lyft. But businesses have a lot to gain now and in the near future too. As data is gathered and analyzed, IoT will allow better health , productivity and business decision-making. It can enable predictive maintenance, accelerate medical care, improve customer service and provide benefits that we haven’t even imagined before. Despite this boon in the development and adoption of IoT, however, experts say that not enough IT professionals get trained for IoT jobs. An ITProToday article says we’re going to need 200,000 more IT employees who aren’t in the pipeline yet, and a survey of engineers found that 25.7 per cent believe low ability rates are the biggest barrier to growth in the industry. That means easy entry into the field for someone interested in an IoT career if you are inspired, with a variety of options to get started. Skills needed include IoT protection, knowledge of cloud computing , data analytics, automation, understanding of embedded systems, knowledge of devices, to name but a few.
Summing Up All!
While technologies are emerging and developing all around us, these eight technologies now and for the near future offer promising career prospects. And all eight are suffering from a shortage of skilled staff, so the time is right for you to choose one, get educated, and embark on the early stages of the technology, positioning you now and in the future for the success.
