2015 is coming to a close. We’ve seen a lot this past year in the world of technology. 3D printing is breaking new ground, the Internet of Things is connecting our devices like never before, and cyber security is reaching a boiling point; so much so that the United States government intends to create legislation due to the high number of security threats facing us everyday.
Something that hasn’t changed is our drive to create something better, more efficient, and safer. Each and every day some of the world’s brightest minds show us something we’ve never seen before. We’re entering an era of technology that will change the way we live forever, and the year 2016 will be yet another exciting chapter of the unfinished story.
Here are three technology predictions for 2016.
1. The Internet of Things Will See The Largest Growth
It’s estimated that the Internet of Things will exceed a value of $19 Trillion by the year 2020. The reality is Internet of Things technology is just getting started. We currently see “smart” devices in our homes and as part of our daily lives that help us cook, clean, or repair everyday appliances and other devices.
The truth is the Internet of Things is ready to explode onto the seen in a big way, and 2016 may be the year that IOT makes its way into a majority of homes in the United States. Combine that with technologies like Amazon’s Echo or Siri and you have the potential to turn your everyday activities into “hands-free” affairs.
2. Cybersecurity Will Be The #1 Concern
We’ve seen the “big” topics the last few years include things like Big Data, SaSS, and Mobile Apps. In 2016, Cybersecurity will take the cake as not only the most talked about topic in technology but the most pertinent. We experienced far too many cybersecurity incidents in 2015, and the frequency and scale of hacks and breaches gets larger all the time.
What can we do to realize a cyber attack when it’s occurring? How do we protect ourselves against cyber attacks? These are questions we’ll have to find better answers to in 2016, and with all those bright minds we spoke about earlier, it stands to reason that we will, collectively, find common solutions to cyber security problems.
3. We’ll See More Companies Run by Techies Than Businesspeople
Sure, we see big businesses like Facebook and Google run by technology gurus, but the reality is most “big” businesses are run by businessmen and women. In today’s world, it’s becoming more common to see someone that has education not only in technology but also business, combining two skills into a one. In the past both were considered as separate, unique skill sets. Today they can be mutually exclusive. Don’t be surprised to see emerging companies run by individuals with technology backgrounds.