Technology‌ ‌Trends‌ to Watch ‌in‌ ‌2021‌ ‌

Technology‌ ‌Trends‌ to Watch ‌in‌ ‌2021‌ ‌

The‌ “‌Information‌ ‌Age”‌ ‌has‌ ‌shaped‌ ‌our‌ ‌lives‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌way‌ ‌we‌ ‌conduct‌ ‌business because of proliferation of the Internet.‌ ‌The impact of technology on daily life and business strategy is positioned to continue into the future.

As we start the year 2021, businesses are seeking to ‌stay‌ ‌ahead‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌curve‌ in technology‌ ‌developments‌ ‌by‌ ‌integrating‌ advancements ‌into sustainable‌ ‌strategies.‌ Roebuck‌ ‌Technologies‌ stays ‌abreast‌ ‌of‌ current and emerging ‌tech‌ to position‌ ‌clients‌ with a competitive advantage in the marketplace.‌ As a recommendation, Roebuck has identified a short-list of top‌ ‌technological‌ ‌trends‌ ‌to‌ watch ‌in‌ ‌2021.‌ ‌

Artificial‌ ‌intelligence‌ ‌(AI)‌

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AI‌ ‌has‌ ‌made‌ ‌significant‌ ‌headway‌ ‌in‌ ‌becoming‌ ‌a‌ ‌part‌ ‌of‌ ‌daily‌ ‌life,‌ ‌with‌ ‌personal‌ ‌assistant‌ ‌programs‌ ‌like‌ ‌Siri,‌ ‌Cortana,‌ ‌and‌ ‌Alexa becoming‌ ‌increasingly‌ ‌popular‌ ‌over‌ ‌the‌ ‌last‌ ‌decade.‌ ‌AI has also‌ ‌been‌ ‌leveraged‌ ‌by‌ ‌many‌ ‌businesses‌ ‌in‌ ‌activities‌ ‌ranging‌ ‌from‌ streamlining ‌manufacturing‌ processes ‌to‌ ‌enhancing‌ ‌customer‌ ‌experience.‌ ‌

The broad ‌application‌ of AI in business will ‌continue‌ in many areas, including fraud‌ ‌detection,‌ ‌voice‌ ‌recognition‌ ‌and‌ ‌motion‌ ‌detection,‌ ‌leading‌ ‌to‌ ‌breakthroughs‌ ‌in‌ ‌service personalization‌ ‌and‌ ‌data‌ ‌security.‌ ‌

5G‌ ‌data‌ ‌networks‌‌

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Connectivity‌ ‌has‌ ‌shifted‌ ‌from‌ ‌novelty‌ ‌to‌ ‌luxury‌ ‌to‌ ‌necessity.‌ ‌As‌ ‌communication‌ ‌needs‌ ‌expand‌ ‌in both‌ ‌volume‌ ‌and‌ ‌complexity,‌ ‌it‌ ‌has‌ ‌become‌ ‌more‌ ‌important‌ ‌to‌ ‌deploy‌ ‌5G‌ ‌networks‌ as the backbone infrastructure ‌to‌ ‌boost everyday‌ ‌communications‌ ‌from‌ ‌anywhere,‌ ‌at‌ ‌any‌ ‌time,‌ ‌using‌ ‌a‌ ‌variety‌ ‌of‌ ‌potential‌ ‌platforms. In addition to improved reliability, the implementation of 5G‌ ‌networks will ‌provide‌ ‌not‌ ‌only‌ ‌greater‌ ‌bandwidth‌ ‌but‌ ‌also faster‌ ‌response‌ ‌times‌ ‌and‌ ‌download speeds.‌ ‌

Automation‌

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The‌ ‌ultimate‌ ‌purpose‌ ‌of‌ ‌automation‌ ‌is‌ ‌to‌ ‌serve‌ ‌as‌ ‌a‌ ‌tool‌ that lowers dependence upon‌ ‌uniquely‌ ‌human‌ ‌qualities‌ ‌such as ‌ingenuity and‌ ‌critical‌ ‌thinking.‌ Automation advancements‌ ‌are‌ ‌expected‌ ‌to‌ ‌yield‌ ‌gains‌ ‌in‌ ‌time‌ ‌and‌ ‌productivity‌ ‌that‌ ‌can‌ ‌be‌ ‌better‌ ‌invested‌ ‌in‌ ‌more‌ ‌complex‌ ‌or‌ ‌difficult‌ ‌problems.‌ ‌The‌ ‌manufacturing,‌ ‌banking‌ ‌and‌ ‌software‌ ‌development‌ ‌industries‌ ‌are‌ ‌expected‌ ‌to‌ ‌benefit‌ significantly ‌from‌ automation‌ ‌breakthroughs.‌ ‌

Edge‌ ‌computing‌‌

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Businesses‌ ‌that‌ ‌adopt‌ ‌cloud‌ ‌solutions‌ ‌may ‌benefit‌ ‌from‌ ‌increased‌ ‌flexibility,‌ ‌productivity,‌ ‌and‌ ‌security.‌ Cloud‌ ‌solutions‌ ‌are‌ ‌augmented‌ ‌by‌ ‌edge‌ ‌computing,‌ ‌a‌ ‌technology‌ ‌that‌ ‌features decentralized processing power ‌and enables mobile computing by a local device, computer or server rather than being transmitted to a data center,‌ thereby ‌reducing‌ ‌the‌ ‌latency‌ ‌involved‌ ‌in‌ ‌cloud‌ ‌solutions.‌ ‌With‌ ‌edge‌ ‌computing,‌ ‌solutions‌ typically prove‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌quick‌ ‌and‌ ‌responsive‌. ‌ ‌

Blockchain‌

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Blockchain‌, a technology that ‌refers‌ ‌to‌ ‌lists‌ ‌of‌ ‌records‌ ‌linked‌ ‌using‌ ‌cryptography,‌ ‌has‌ ‌played‌ ‌a‌ ‌crucial‌ ‌role‌ ‌in‌ ‌improving‌ ‌the‌ ‌security‌ ‌of‌ ‌Internet‌ ‌of‌ ‌Things‌ ‌(IoT)‌ ‌technology,‌ allowing ‌Internet‌ ‌connectivity‌ for ‌traditionally‌ ‌nondigital‌ ‌objects.‌ The‌ ‌market‌ ‌for‌ ‌blockchain‌ ‌is expected‌ ‌to‌ ‌‌grow‌ ‌to‌ ‌$2.3‌ ‌billion‌ ‌in‌ ‌2021. As an example, ‌applications‌ ‌detecting‌ ‌Internet‌ ‌fraud‌ ‌and‌ ‌preventing‌ ‌information‌ ‌leakage‌ ‌are‌ ‌expected‌ ‌to‌ ‌have‌ ‌a‌ ‌profound‌ ‌impact‌ ‌on‌ ‌creative‌ ‌industries‌ ‌like‌ ‌music‌ ‌and‌ ‌film.‌ ‌

Virtual‌ ‌reality‌ ‌(VR)‌ ‌and‌ ‌augmented‌ ‌reality‌ ‌(AR)‌


VR‌ ‌and‌ ‌AR‌ ‌are‌ ‌poised for expansion‌ ‌in‌ ‌2021.‌ ‌Specifically,‌ ‌VR‌ ‌involves‌ ‌immersing‌ ‌a‌ ‌user
in‌ ‌an‌ ‌artificial‌ ‌environment‌ ‌and‌ ‌context,‌ ‌whereas‌ ‌AR‌ ‌involves‌ ‌enhancing‌ ‌real-life‌ ‌locations‌ ‌and‌ ‌
environments‌ ‌with‌ ‌digital‌ ‌objects.‌ ‌Both‌ ‌of‌ ‌the VR and AR technologies‌ ‌have‌ ‌seen‌ ‌applications‌ ‌primarily‌ ‌within‌ ‌the‌ ‌gaming‌ ‌and‌ ‌entertainment‌ ‌space,‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌Oculus‌ ‌Rift‌ ‌being‌ ‌an‌ ‌example‌ ‌of‌ ‌a‌ ‌device‌ ‌that‌ ‌makes‌ ‌use‌ ‌of‌ ‌VR,‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌popular‌ ‌mobile‌ ‌game‌ ‌Pokémon‌ ‌Go‌ ‌being‌ ‌an‌ ‌example‌ ‌of‌ ‌AR‌ ‌in‌ ‌use.‌ ‌Both reality platforms,‌ ‌however,‌ ‌have‌ ‌significant‌ ‌potential‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌marketing, ‌training,‌ ‌education‌ ‌and‌ ‌marketing‌ ‌spaces.‌ ‌

These‌ ‌are‌ ‌just‌ ‌among‌ ‌the‌ ‌exciting‌ ‌new‌ ‌developments‌ ‌that‌ ‌2021‌ ‌holds.‌ ‌Contact‌ ‌‌Roebuck‌ ‌Technologies‌‌ ‌now‌ ‌to‌ ‌keep‌ ‌your‌ ‌business‌ ‌ahead‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌technology‌ ‌game.‌ ‌


Doug Coleman

Doug Coleman

Chief Operating Officer

Doug possesses over 20 years of expertise in corporate finance, information systems, logistics, supply chain management and competitive strategies. He has served in executive management not only for The Roebuck Group, but also Commercial Carrier Corporation, a nationwide transportation and logistics provider. Additionally, he served in senior management at Vology, a global value-added reseller of technology solutions. Doug earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and Master of Business Administration degrees from the University of Florida as well as a Juris Doctorate degree from Stetson University College of Law.