Technology changes so rapidly that it can be tough to keep up. But with tech becoming more accessible, small businesses need to learn how they can adopt them and stay on top of this ever-changing industry.
We’ve outlined some of the biggest trends in tech this year and how they are helping businesses thrive.
Artificial intelligence
In recent years, AI has been pushed from the realm of science fiction into reality with more benefits than we could ever have imagined. Randy Dean, Chief Business Officer at Launchpad recently said that “everything invented in the past 150 years will be reinvented using AI technology within 15-20 years” which is an unprecedented and exciting prospect for businesses everywhere who are looking to grow their business or even just stay afloat during these tough times. The only thing you need to make sure of though is adapting your company’s strategy as quickly as possible so it can keep up with this rapidly evolving landscape before someone else does!
In recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to distinguish between a human and an AI as they seem to be cropping up in business left right and centre. Chatbots are getting so advanced that its becoming harder for people not accustomed with them having conversations; which can feel like talking into thin air or reading from back of cereal box directions. With the proliferation of voice recognition software such as Siri, Google Assistant, Cortana etc., artificial intelligence is making our lives more convenient by providing us information at any time without lifting a finger.
Voice recognition
Google assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple’s Siri. The number of devices that now feature digital assistants is in the millions. According to ComScore, by 2020 50% of all searches will be done by voice. But rather than be intimidated by this statistic, businesses can really capitalise on voice recognition.
With voice search growing in popularity and people using it more than ever, you can’t afford to neglect adapting your business plan for this new trend. With the way they’re doing their searches changing as well, if you want to keep up with what’s trending then make sure that your website is optimized around these questions so that there are no missed opportunities when a potential customer needs help finding something or wants information on one of your products.
Voice recognition can also make life around the office much easier. Alexa for business provides a management plan for offices powered by digital assistants. It keeps schedules, tracks to-do lists and generally keep your office organized if it’s something you’re struggling with.
Virtual/Augmented Reality
With the advent of new technology, it is now possible to see fully immersive virtual worlds with incredible detail and precision. Even though this type of VR has not yet been created for small business use, there are endless opportunities that could be explored in these environments.
Augmented reality can shift our experience of the world in interesting ways. For instance, by using their smartphone to access a VR furniture marketplace online, customers will be able to see how certain tables would look with all sorts of different styles and options for themselves at home. This extension or transformation could help people have an easier time making purchase decisions when they are shopping around!
Remote working could be all the more convenient with AR or VR. With more home-based businesses than ever, video conference meetings are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to conference calls. You may have heard of Virtual Reality (VR). This technology is relatively new and it can make you feel like your in a 3D world! Now imagine that this feeling was applied to remote work environments. Remote workers who use VR headsets will seem like they’re sitting down at their desk across from each other when really we’re just talking on speakerphone over Skype – not exactly what I had in mind for my daydreams about being able to telecommute!
Unified communication
Unified communications are essential for flexible working. With 50% of workers likely to work remotely by 2020, there is pressure on business owners and managers to unify the way they communicate with their teams or employees. Those at the forefront of tech have already started integrating landlines, mobiles, desktops and tablets into one central communication platform in order to keep up with this trend. If you want your company stay progressive you should look into adopting instant messaging services like Skype or Hangouts which allow users seamless integration across different platforms including voice audio video chat functions along with traditional text based chatting features.
Interested in how your business can adopt new technologies? Speak to Tech Engine Australia.
