2022 trends: technology to the rescue
Digital transformation, IT modernization, and asset optimization are being tackled with even more fervor by leveraging technologies and cloud architectures (see 451 Research, Gartner, and Forrester reports).
For example, organizations are looking to get more out of their current assets, whether that’s existing data, business logic, or legacy systems. How they’re getting more bang from that buck is to:
- Use that data in new forms (e.g., mobile apps)
- Analyze that data to drive new business opportunities (AI/ML to uncover new client needs or to recommend optimizations)
- Go faster with what they got via DevSecOps tools and methodologies
High performance computing — quantum, cloud, and 5G
Life sciences, space exploration, AI, big data analytics, and the plain-old cloud are demanding more computing and network performance to accomplish lofty goals. That’s where you see quantum enter from players like Google, IBM, Microsoft, Amazon, and Alibaba. IoT (Internet of Things) and its many-many sensors and devices are part of the fuel for all this computing. We’ve seen hype about IoT for many years, which has shown an uneven uptake of the next “waves.” Nonetheless the amount of consumer-grade devices have added a push to IoT on top of the industrial sector.
What to expect: All those workloads and high-volume data demand more out of today’s networks; hence 5G is showing up in more enterprise spaces (especially private 5G, bandwidth, network slicing, multicloud). Organizations who can master automation, orchestration, and observability can then focus on their goals via AI, analytics, and continuous availability as well as disrupt with novel personalization and highest security postures all the way to/from the edge. Those organizations are also looking for help via SaaS and PaaS services to offload operational tasks across the cloud, on-prem and the edge.
From the financial side, all capital expenses (CapEx) will continue to be reviewed and optimized, such that all assets must clearly deliver value. So that’s where cloud technologies, especially Kubernetes, will let enterprises reduce investments or make more out of their workloads and data today. AIOps (AI for operational tasks) promises to make running your IT cheaper, faster, and with foresight. So yep, the bean counters will be looking at OpEx too. The upside is that no one wants to manually read logs in the middle of the night, when AIOps could have done that task for you or better yet notified you that you were running out of disk space in advance (or whatever predictive maintenance might need to occur).
Security tools and processes (e.g., zero trust frameworks) are the foundation for any and all workloads, and expressly for your data. As I mentioned previously, the world has shifted to a data economy, which is why it’s the primary target for cyberthreats. So companies are looking at where their data is (so many places!), how to spread risk out across data storage locations through a data fabric and/or multicloud, and who they allow to see/touch their data (supply chains + partners = another ransomware target).
Metaverse, AR, and VR
This group has been on and off my trends lists over the years. Perhaps this is the year where we see these technologies go from gaming and recreation to more business applications. Or not. Companies are exploring how to best monetize these technologies. And the pandemic has shown that digital experiences instead of in-person ones do have an audience and a need. For example, in-person conferences went virtual and continue to have hybrid experiences into 2022. Another example is how organizations tackled traditional in-person activities via virtual experiences, such as telehealth and maintenance.
What to expect: Nonetheless what this technology’s history has been, investment is booming for the metaverse. So for example, you’ll see use cases for remote assistance, diagnostics, retail, manufacturing, training, and prototyping. The crystal ball is a bit cloudier about which of the tech players will be on top: Meta (Facebook), Google, Apple, Microsoft, or the smaller players.
By the way, I still love my Oculus Quest 2.
Investing and interesting ways to make a buck
NFTs continue to expand, whether you like them or not. Who ever thought a decade ago that cryptocurrency, wine, and fine art could be some of the hottest ways to invest? Blockchain also continues to land on this list, although its dependence on large amounts of computing power and broader adoption will impede its progress. These and other novel ways will continue to surprise us in how commerce is evolving in the 21st century. Caution ahead for inflation and rising interest rates.
What to expect: iterative projects to tackle large-scale architecture and technical investments. The cloud lets organizations cost-effectively build MVPs and then scale that up to more features and to more locations. The cloud also enables companies to scale their investments in crypto and blockchain technologies, as needed. Sustainability projects are an opportunity, not just a cost-center. Startups and acquisitions are rampant in this growing sector (example). So you’ll see technologies that marry AI, analytics, IoT, and weather data, so companies can optimize energy and resource usage through smart metering, predictive maintenance, and waste management. Regulations are continuing to evolve so other technologies will help companies identify and comply with local and broader requirements.
Sources: 451 Research, Gartner, and Forrester reports
