Despite economic challenges, organizations will continue to rely on emerging technologies to improve customer experience, increase business agility and reduce administrative spending.
In this context, more and more companies will take advantage of cloud databases, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, Edge Computing, and more in 2023 to position themselves successfully in an increasingly competitive market. Thus, these are some predictions for the incoming year and forward in the future.
Inclusion of the Internet of Things (IoT) in omnichannel marketing strategies:
After years of hearing about the internet of things, this technology is consolidated and part of our day-to-day. It is estimated that by 2023 there will be 43 billion internet-connected devices in the world, almost 3 times more than in 2018.
Thanks to technological advances, the Internet of Things will become easier to implement, opening the door for a broader range of businesses to benefit from its applications. Large multinationals have been investing in IoT for years, but now the maturity of this technology has also made it available to small and medium-sized enterprises.
Today, the Internet of Things has applications in sectors as diverse as Industry 4.0, cities, smart homes, connected cars, and telemedicine. This represents a huge opportunity to integrate internet-connected devices into omnichannel marketing strategies. It is not only a new platform to connect with potential customers but also a precious source of data to know the audience better and refine strategies.
Robotics for business processes:
Robotics combines technological, scientific, and engineering advances to recreate human actions without mistakes. Today, robotics is present in all processes, from manufacturing robots to programming.
Factory automation improves business processes and brings products to market much faster. But that’s only the first step: robotic process automation allows you to create, deploy and manage robots to mimic human actions by interacting with digital systems and software. This will enable you to carry out large volumes of work without human error and at high speed.
Nor can we forget the role of robots in customer experience. For example, self-service solutions (which can include chatbot support) facilitate the shopping experience and are a favorite of millennial consumers.
Blockchain for security:
When it comes to blockchain, most people automatically think about cryptocurrencies. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg: in reality, this technology has many applications that will be increasingly present in our lives.
Blockchain is a decentralized record of transactions. Data accumulates in a series of clusters or blocks. When a block’s storage capacity runs out, it is bound to the previous block. Thus, we are forming a decentralized chain that does not depend on any entity. As information is shared publicly and updated by consensus, it is complicated to manipulate. And this brings us to their security applications.
Blockchain allows you to process transactions securely and avoid online fraud, so it has become one of the major trends in development and IT of 2023. In the coming months and years, we will see more and more companies adopt this technology to protect their digital assets and their users.
Cryptography and encryption:
In cybersecurity, encryption consists of converting data from a human-readable format to a coded one. This makes it possible for data to be protected even if it is intercepted, as it is only possible to access it by knowing the key to decrypt it.
Encryption protects user information sent from the browser to the server or between other systems. Thus, data remains secure and “hacker-proof” while browsing public networks.
The more complex a cryptographic key is, the more secure encryption will be, as potential attackers will find it harder to crack the key using computing power and access the data.
This is a sector that never stops advancing, as successive advances in encryption technologies are followed by advances in the ways of deciphering them. Since user security is at stake, it is crucial to be aware of trends in cryptography and encryption.
WiFi 7.0 is coming:
In 2023 we will begin to see devices ready to work with WiFi 7.0, whose official launch is scheduled for May 2024. This technology represents a breakthrough over the previous standard, with features such as:
- Better performance, bandwidth, and efficiency.
- Possibility to use several channels simultaneously and with low latency.
- Up to 48 Gbps speed (compared to 10 on WiFi 6).
- Dual bandwidth (160 to 320 MHz).
- Greater coverage distance.
All these capabilities make it comparable to wired internet. At the user level, WiFi 7 will improve playback of 4K and 8K content, deliver better gaming experiences and drive adoption of the metaverse, one of the most important developing and IT trends for marketers.
Artificial intelligence in manufacturing:
We are witnessing the revolution of Industry 4.0, in which artificial intelligence allows optimizing all aspects of manufacturing, from design and production to the supply chain. In 2023 we will see how advances in AI enable more efficient and sustainable production.
Here are some outstanding applications of artificial intelligence in Industry 4.0:
- Predictive maintenance. Artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms enable predictions about machine components that need maintenance and anticipate needs. This allows you to avoid costly breakdowns, optimize maintenance resources and plan ahead.
- Improvement of the quality. The trend in the industrial sector is for robots to take over production jobs and for human workers to take over the most advanced design, maintenance, and production jobs.
- Merchandise design. Generative design involves entering a detailed report of product requirements into an AI algorithm to create and evaluate potential solutions. The algorithm values all possible configurations and then focuses on the best solutions. You can test these solutions using machine learning to learn more about the design.
Biometric passwords: the end of passwords as we know them:
Passwords are a virtually universal user authentication system, but their disadvantages are no secret. Hackers are experts in password theft, and many times users themselves make it easy by using repeated or too easy-to-guess passwords. In fact, according to the FIDO Alliance (an organization of companies whose objective is to eliminate or reduce the excessive use of passwords), passwords are responsible for 80% of data breaches.
This system stores a “passkey” in the phone, which is only accessible after unlocking it by fingerprint or facial recognition. This system will become available in 2023.
Quantum computing:
In recent years, several of the largest technology companies, such as Google, Microsoft, Intel, and IBM, have been working in quantum computing. This technology could be a whole new technological revolution.
Quantum computing employs principles of quantum physics to create computers that overcome traditional computer barriers and can perform much more complex calculations. Its applications include the following:
- Data analysis: Quantum computers can help us solve problems on a scale that until now was unthinkable.
- Predictions of different scenarios using large and complete data sets.
- Cryptographic encryption. As we’ve seen in trend number 4, encryption is one of the most important areas of advancement in cybersecurity. Quantum computing will make it possible to create faster and more sophisticated ciphers.
- Recognition of patterns in data to make predictions (for example, weather or traffic).
- Improvement of autonomous driving and aviation systems.
- Medical research.
Cross-platform development:
Mobile applications are a very present channel in the marketing strategies of companies. But the development of these applications has its complications.
Creating a backend that works on multiple operating systems at once was very complicated, which resulted in having to develop and maintain standalone apps for Android and iOS. But this, in turn, increased costs.
The solution to this problem is cross-platform mobile development, creating applications compatible with several different mobile operating systems through a single code base. This reduces engineering costs and allows the application to reach a broader user base.
Cross-platform development is one of the significant development and IT trends of 2023, as more and more companies are taking it into account. There are already several solutions on the market to implement it, such as Flutter or React Native.
Nearshore software:
Nearshore software development consists of using a computer that is not necessarily in the same location as the client but at a limited geographic distance (usually about 2-4 time zones away).
This option allows you to combine the advantages of outsourcing and remote working with those offered by proximity:
- Greater cultural cohesion among the team.
- Fewer travel expenses.
- Easier coordination between time zones.
- Better communication (as the whole team is more likely to share the same language).
In short, nearshore software allows you to hire the best technology experts and maintain team cohesion without significant budget investments.
