The analysts have just presented their "ten strategic technology trends for 2020".
Gartner has now proclaimed ten strategic technology trends with "substantial disruptive potential" for 2020 in Orlando, which will either emerge and quickly gain in importance or are already beginning to establish themselves in the companies. According to analysts, the following ten technology trends will characterize the coming year:
Hyperautomation - the interplay of technologies
Modern automation tools together with container technologies and the possibilities of Machine Learning (ML) form the prerequisites for technology bundles that could make working life significantly easier for people. Gartner speaks of "Hyperautomation".
It is intended to help automate all steps of working life: recognizing and analyzing problems, designing and testing solutions, and finally observing finished products in the field. According to Gartner, understanding, combining and coordinating the broad range of automation mechanisms is the focus of Hyperautomation.
As the analysts point out, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) has created the basis for this discipline. However, RPA alone is not Hyperautomation. Now it is a matter of combining tools to intervene in a supportive way wherever people carry out repetitive work.
Multiexperience - the human being is examined
According to Gartner, the way users experience and interact with the digital world will change fundamentally by 2028. New human-machine interfaces will play a decisive role in this. Language assistants such as Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant will spread further as natural language operating options for devices and machines. Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) are also changing the way people perceive and interact with the digital world.
Gartner speaks of a "multisensory and multimodal experience". Instead of the "technology-savvy person", the "technology-savvy person" now takes the place of the "technology-savvy person". "The ability of technology to communicate with people through their natural senses will improve the delivery of nuanced information," said Brian Burke, research vice president at Gartner.
Democratization of know-how
How do people manage to gain simplified access to technical expertise, such as machine learning or application development? And how can companies spread business-specific knowledge among their employees, for example in the sales process or calculate a profitability analysis, in such a way that rapid results are achieved and training costs are kept to a minimum?
The rise of no-code and low-code environments for programming shows that the democratization of software development is already taking place. Gartner now expects not only Citizen Developers but also Citizen Data Scientists and Citizen Integrators, for example.
Four democratization trends are expected to accelerate by 2023:
The democratization of data and analysis - Tools that were previously reserved for data scientists are also used by other users;
The democratization of individual development - AI tools simplify the development of individual applications;
Design democratization - Low code and no-code development environments offer more features for automated software development so that even inexperienced staff in the departments can use them;
The democratization of knowledge - IT laypersons gain access to tools and expert systems that enable them to accomplish tasks that go beyond their respective skills and expertise.
Human augmentation - the cyborgs are coming
In the future, technology will help people to expand their naturally limited cognitive perception and physical performance. For example, people can implant a chip or equip themselves with intelligent clothing or wearables.
Medicine, which attempts to compensate for patients' handicaps, will play an important role here. But human augmentation is also becoming more important for the world of work, where people can perform physically or mentally challenging tasks more easily with technical helpers.
Transparency and traceability
Consumers are increasingly aware that their personal information has value. They demand control. At the same time, businesses are recognizing the growing risks associated with storing and managing third party personal information. If not, government agencies are helping with increasingly stringent regulation.
Transparency and traceability are key elements in meeting the need for ethically responsible data handling. Therefore, there is a demand for technologies and practices that help companies comply with regulatory requirements and deploy AI and other modern technologies correctly. As mistrust grows among people, companies will generally need to invest more in confidence-building measures.
Edge Computing - the pendulum is turning to decentralized IT
Gartner speaks of an "empowered edge", meaning a computing topology in which information processing and the collection and provision of content are decentralized. Given the ever-increasing amount of data at the point of origin, data is increasingly being processed and stored locally. This applies, for example, to networked vehicles or machines that are "connected" in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). A large part of the network traffic then also runs locally on-site, so that latency times can be reduced.
"Edge computing is becoming an important factor in virtually all industries and applications, as more sophisticated and highly specialized computing and storage units can be deployed at the edge of the network," says Burke. More complex edge devices include not only intelligent vehicles and digitally modernized machines but also robots and drones.
Distributed Cloud - Hyperscaler as Gatekeeper
Today, public cloud services are usually provided centrally by one of the major Hyperscalers, such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Google or IBM. In the future, Gartner predicts, these services will be decentralized and distributed to different locations and subcontractors.
However, the public cloud provider of choice will continue to bear the responsibility and control tasks such as operation, governance and further development of the services. According to Gartner, this represents a significant change: the central model, which all major providers are currently pursuing, is now preparing the transition to a new decentralized era of cloud computing.
Autonomous things - it can also be done without people
Gartner refers to "autonomous things" as physical devices that use artificial intelligence to become more independent and solve tasks that were previously reserved for human beings. The most popular example is probably autonomous driving, which affects not only cars and trucks but also ships and airplanes. But robots, drones, and various other devices can also act autonomously.
In the future, it will no longer be rigid programming models that determine the degree of automation, but AI and ML algorithms. They provide adaptive systems that enable natural interaction with the environment and people. Gartner assumes that autonomous things will be used with increasing technical performance, better regulatory conditions and growing social acceptance in uncontrolled public spaces.
"We also expect a shift from stand-alone to collaborative intelligent things where multiple devices work together - either independently of humans or with human input," says Burke. In this way, different robot types could work together in a coordinated assembly process. When delivering parcels, autonomous vehicles could transport a parcel to a target area, where robots or drones would take over the final delivery.
Practical blockchain - maybe it will be something after all
According to Gartner, blockchain technology still has the potential to transform entire industries. In business ecosystems, it provides the ability to conduct transactions confidentially, transparently, and comparatively quickly at low cost. Assets can be traced back to their origin, significantly reducing the opportunities for trading in counterfeit goods.
In the food industry, supply chains can be traced back to the producer. The same applies to suppliers in an industrial supply chain. Blockchains can also play an important role in identity management. Smart contracts, which are programmed via blockchain in such a way that, for example, a checked delivery is automatically paid for, are another scenario.
"Technical shortcomings such as a lack of scalability and interoperability mean that the blockchain is making slow progress in the company. However, the opportunities offered by disruptive intervention and the generation of additional revenue mean that companies should look at the technology," recommends Burke. This is true even if no broad introduction is planned in the short term.
AI Security
AI and Machine Learning - as already mentioned - offer great opportunities for supporting human decision-making as well as for automating and transforming entire business models. However, they also create significant challenges for IT security teams. The Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing, microservices, and highly networked systems in so-called smart spaces are significantly increasing the number of points of attack.
According to Gartner, IT security executives should focus on three aspects in particular:
The protection of AI-assisted systems
The use of AI to better protect against attackers
The anticipation of new forms of attack, which are likely to become much more sophisticated and effective as a result of CI
This article was originally uploaded on the cio.de