Digital technological trends: the Internet of things, AI, Blockchain are 3 technological sets that will have a huge impact in 2019

According to the cycle of progress, artificial intelligence has already been adopted by 46% of global companies like ours in some way.

Srinivasan CR

Last year, we had the advantage of supporting the recent results of our landmark study on the digital transformation of the inaugural progress cycle to inform my predictions. This global survey examines the hopes and fears of global business leaders on emerging technologies and reveals which technologies are actively implementing to drive the digital transformation of their business, compared to those that still have to be at the height of the advertising situation. Based on our findings, I see several technologies that continue to be at the forefront of 2019, namely the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and blockchain.

The evolution of IoT

More than half (53%) of respondents in the progress cycle state that they have adopted the IoT in a form or form so far. Already well established in many companies, IoT applications and services are leading the package to have the greatest positive impact. And the future looks bright, with 48% of decision makers who see it have the most significant impact, positioning themselves above any other emerging technology in our study.

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I see that the technology is implemented more significantly in 2019, as the most interesting use cases emerge between vertical sectors. I am particularly excited to see how IoT can support sustainability projects such as creating new ways to combat food waste in the agricultural industry. In 2019, I believe that IoT, supported by advanced connectivity solutions such as 5G and LoRaWAN, will continue to strengthen especially in emerging markets such as India, where a staggering 69% of respondents in the Advancement Cycle reported have adopted the technology.

Artificial intelligence becomes mainstream

This brings us to another elephant based on data in the room: AI and Machine Learning, which are increasingly integrated into a variety of services, making the technology much more accessible and digestible than it was just a few years ago. According to the cycle of progress, artificial intelligence has already been adopted by 46% of global companies like ours in some way. Despite the alarm about the potential negative impact of artificial intelligence on people and jobs, only 8% of the business leaders who took part in our survey did not plan to start using the # 39; artificial intelligence.

Blockchain finds a new perspective on life

Perhaps one of the newest technologies of digital age is blockchain. Master books shared like Blockchain have the potential to improve security, while increasing efficiency and speed. While the prospects for digital transformation in the coming year are positive, the implementation of new technologies like Blockchain is not without challenges. In fact, business leaders cited costs as the biggest obstacle to integrating new innovations, while security and privacy were highlighted as major challenges.

A constant cycle

During 2018, "digital transformation" has become such a widespread term and concept that it is easy to forget what it actually means. I like to think of it as a constant cycle of progress. To make a real difference, technology-enabled business transformation must have speed, reach and impact. While our study shows that there is still a lot of work to do to enable organizations to maximize the potential of the latest technologies, the future is bright. Next-generation innovations such as IoT, AI and Blockchain will have a huge impact in 2019 and beyond, with companies aspiring to exploit these technologies to evolve constantly.

The writer is Chief Digital Officer, Tata Communications