Technological change has always been people-oriented. This will be true more than ever before as hybrid operation accelerates in 2022. The biggest trends in technology will be about the new ways we work, connect, create new things, and support each other — and how technology enables them.
As we quickly adapted to unexpected problems, technological change accelerated during the pandemic period. This year, however, we will take our solutions to the next level. This means creating digital experiences that are more engaging, inclusive, secure and easy to use than ever before.
In this article, you can find the technology trends that I think will be the most influential in the next 12 months.
1 — Working together using realistic holograms
Can you imagine having dinner with a friend or colleague who seems to be at the same table as you despite being 10,000 km away? Hologram technologies make this a reality. Despite the controversy about the virtual world of Metaverse, I think people want a more real experience. Also, unlike metaverse avatars, hologram technologies provide a hyper-real three-dimensional representation of you and your meal companions, thereby breaking geographic barriers. Holograms will also transform the concept of working together in the business world. Thanks to this technology, for example, a design prototype can be viewed from all angles by participating real-time collaboration parties as if they were physically present, even if they are on different continents. In 2022, I expect the real-time use cases of this trend to emerge, providing a clear view of what awaits us in terms of collaboration.
2 — Invisible user interface
A barrier to progress is complexity. This is especially true for user interfaces. As brands and service providers combine new possibilities, consumers may reach a saturation point. So instead of introducing new features, we can foresee designers removing some of them. At least what we can see… Because many of the new features will be invisible. As AI transforms industries and technologies in many ways, we won’t even have to think about or even enable these features. The technology itself will “know” when to use it. An example of this is hybrid operation. Our collaboration platforms will anticipate our needs in new ways, enabling seamless and intuitive interactions with anyone from anywhere, with features ranging from automatic noise reduction to real-time translation.
3 — Seamless platform-to-platform migration
Consumers today want to switch from one platform, product, or experience to another without any hassle. Therefore, no company will be able to innovate independently of all other companies. The most successful tech companies will understand this dynamic and ensure that their products and services are interoperable. Part of the reason is that people are more concerned with how easily and effectively technologies work, not with which company produced them. The pandemic once again emphasized the importance of simplicity and ease of use. Get ready to see even greater integration between different platforms, applications and services in 2022.
4 — Migration to multi-cloud security platforms
Given the increasing complexity of cybersecurity in a multi-cloud world, I predict a major shift from discrete solutions to converged platforms in 2022. Even the number of security service providers in the market, which is 3,500 according to the latest estimates, means that for many organizations, security, as well as policy and governance, will be simplified. I expect this streamlined and integrated approach to security will increase the importance of big players of security platforms such as Cisco, Microsoft, Zscaler, Palo Alto Networks and Crowdstrike in 2022.
5 – Mixed-mode working for a more diverse, global and flexible workforce
As a result of the Great Wave of Resignation, people want to work in new ways. So it looks like the old hierarchical 9-5 model will no longer return. This doesn’t just mean giving people the option to work from home a few days a week. It also means creating an extraordinary working experience, whether you are in the office, at home or in a mountain village on another continent, no matter where or how you work. While human potential is the same all over the world, we have seen that possibilities are not the same everywhere, at least until now. In 2022, get ready to drive a global culture change where great collaboration tools and innovations bring us closer to a world of equal opportunity worldwide.
6 – New solutions will emerge as the skills gap grows
There are currently 4 million vacancies in the security field alone and I expect this number to increase further. The first solution that comes to mind is to train more people for security jobs. Thus, security skills need to be made available to a broader pool of potential talent. Online platforms like Cisco Networking Academy will reach more people in neglected and disadvantaged areas. Yet by simplifying and automating technology, we can fill these gaps even faster, eliminating the burdensome and time-consuming labor-intensive work in security and IT. Artificial intelligence will play an increasingly important role in this development, especially in the field of security. On the leadership side, I expect the number of female managers to increase in 2022. I expect the number of rulers of different races to increase as well, but that may take longer to happen.
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