10 IT TRENDS THAT RULE 2019

The fourth Industrial Revolution(4IR) is upon us. 4IR is a term coined when the Internet of Things (IoT) was introduced into production and manufacturing (Tjahjono, Esplugues, Ares, & Pelaez, 2017). 4IR technologies, like IoT, Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality are changing the way we live. Here are my top trending 4IR technologies for 2019.

1. DIGITAL TWINS

Figure 1 A dashboard of a digital twin (Seebo, 2019).

In Gartners’ list of Top 10 Strategic Technologies Trends for 2019 (Gartner, 2019), Digital Twins was listed as one of the digital trends. In essence, a digital twin is a virtual version of a real-world object or system (Borth, Verriet, & Muller, 2019). This means that a product can have an entire digital representation of its creation from cradle to grave. A digital twin offers real-time data about a product or process through simulations, which is very crucial when detecting problems before they occur (Seebo, 2019). Happiest Minds (2019) states that digital twins can:

Prevent the process from coming to a complete stop
Create new opportunities using the data gained from a digital twin
And develop future products at lower costs using simulations from a digital twin

Digital Twins was popularised after it appeared on Gartners’ 2017 list of trends. It appeared again on the 2018 list with Gartner saying that “with an estimated 21 billion connected sensors and endpoints by 2020, digital twins will exist for billions of things in the near future" (Gartner, 2018). I wholeheartedly welcome this idea. South Africa is a developing country and when it comes to new technologies, their inaccessibility and costliness demotivates South Africans from purchasing them. Digital Twins uses key Industry 4.0 concepts such as Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Machine Learning and Internet of Things (IoT). Since IoT is evolving and being used more, digital twins are becoming more cost effective and accessible which will greatly aid South Africans and that is why I think it is a suitable 2019 trend in South Africa!

2. IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES

Included in Mediums’ and Gartners’ lists of emerging and strategic trends (Gartner, 2019; Moffitt, 2018), Immersive Technologies refers technologies that extend the physical environment to a virtual one. Some immersive technologies include Artificial Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and the previously mentioned Digital Twins.

Immersive technologies are changing the way we think and engage with equipment and data. It helps companies improve their overall efficiency and their employees’ productivity (CompTIA, 2019). In South Africa, immersive technologies can be used to create a 3D simulation of an accident scene or can aid medical students to practice their skills.

3. DATA FABRIC

Companies are growing and are using more applications which gathers more data in silos. The greater amount of data being stored, the greater amount of silo’s or data centers is needed. Now this creates a problem because when data is separated in this manner, it becomes inaccessible which results in a decrease of productivity (Whipple, 2018). The blaring solution is to make all data from accessible from one platform, however this has been a struggle because someone from Durban may need real-time data produced by robots from multiple places in India. How can this real-time data from India be retrieved and sent accurately and timely? Listed in Gartners’ Top 10 Data and Analytics Technology Trends of 2019 (Sallam et al., 2019), Data Fabric presents a way to achieve this. It allows organisations to control data from multiple locations at any time (Raza, 2018). Through data fabrics, data is highly available, secure and reliable and companies can fully harness the power of a hybrid cloud (Raza, 2018), which I predict is highly needed in this data-centric world. Especially in South Africa where resources are largely imported, having a data fabric can help companies compare data from other countries similar to South Africa and this is very useful when deciding to implement a new technology. It also helps makes a supply chain more efficient, which is beneficial to any business.

4. DIGITAL ETHICS AND DATA PRIVACY

As more people hop on to the Internet and sign up to more services and apps, more data is collected. This is referred to Big Data (De Mauro, Greco, & Grimaldi, 2015). With all the controversies surrounding big data and what is done with public information (Cambridge Analytica scandal, Brexit scandal), its no wonder Gartner listed Digital ethics and privacy as their ninth IT trend for 2019 (Gartner, 2019).

Data Ethics simply means what is right or wrong with regards to big data and its use (Floridi & Taddeo, 2016). Gartners’ vice-president, David Cearley, painted a scenario where a fitness tracker collected data of their users’ whereabouts. Soldier’s used this fitness tracker and Iraqi militants got hold of their location data and uploaded it online! This is a major breach of privacy. I would not want my active location being visible by strangers. With South Africas high crime rate, this sort of data being public could have disastrous consequences for its citizens. Criminals will know peoples whereabouts which will make it easier to rob a house when its empty or rob them, especially if victims are seen going to a bank or ATM.

This led to Cearley asking “Just because we can gather all this information about people, should we?” This question left an imprint on my mind. Look at how far technology has advanced. Are we sure that big data played no part in this advancement? Although I welcome stricter digital ethics and privacy regulations, I can’t seem but wonder what the future of innovation and technology (and ultimately big data) will look like.

5. AI DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT

AI Driven Development is the third trend on Gartners’ Strategic trend list (Gartner, 2019). AI Driven Development encourages components to act based on data that is inputted into the system, and also encourages machines to learn from previous actions (Bosch, Olsson, & Crnkovic, 2018).

AI Driven Development can help developers around the world, including South Africa, to increase their efficiency (Gartner, 2019). It allows offers a high degree of portability, agility and integrability (Yao, 2018).

6. 5G

I have a 4mb speed connection, however when my Internet acts up I experience speeds below 2mb. I cannot even imagine what having a 5G internet speed of 1 GIG is like.

5G is the fifth generation of mobile internet and offers insane speeds of internet connectivity (Andrews et al., 2014). Rayome (2019) lists 5G in TechRepublics’ list of the top 10 emerging technologies of 2019. “As 5G rolls out more fully in the coming years, it will drive the development of more complex apps to solve problems and increase growth across industries” said Rayome. I have to agree that 5G will provide more opportunities for efficiency and innovation, and it will be especially advantageous for the Internet of Things. However, I think that it is far from being ready.

In the above video by Youtuber Brownlee (2019), he tests out 5G technology in 2019 and weighs its pro’s and con’s. He concludes by saying that although 5G is so revolutionary, it will still be a while till its perfect form appears. I strongly believe that this is a major leap for South Africans since fibre is seeing a lot of difficulties. Fibre cables have to be installed in everywhere to access 20MB of internet speed, and this installation has been extremely slow because of low manpower or restrictions in certain areas. 5G largely relies on cell towers that covers a greater area and uses less labour than fibre, so it does seem like a viable solution in South Africa.

7. DRONE TECHNOLOGY

Drones were listed as the tenth emerging technology of 2019 on a report done by(CompTIA, 2019). They said that drones are encouraging automation with no restrictions regarding geographic locations. Since drones are becoming more accessible, more individuals and organisations are integrating them into their processes and thus opportunities for technological advancements increase. South African businesses in the logistics industry would benefit greatly from drones. They can provide quick and accurate real-time checks on inventory (Smith, 2015). Drones are slowly being adopted to transport goods. They can be transported from warehouse to warehouse in the same campus/ facility and can also be used to courier small items. Drones are also being used for security which is highly needed in South Africa.

8. EMPOWERED EDGE

Gartner has listed Empowered Edge as their fifth IT trend for 2019 (Gartner, 2019). Edge Computing is shifting the processing of data closer to where the data is created (the edge device). This avoids sending data to a centralised “cloud” location for processing thus reducing the traffic at that location (CBInsights, 2018). Edge devices can be cellphones, tablets and laptops. With IoT picking momentum, edges devices can now take form of smart cars, smart watch and fridges.

South Africa can benefit from this. Smart-trucks can collect data about their journey and expected arrival time. Through this companies can plan before they arrive to reduce lead time and prevent blockages at the offloading centers. Without the concept of empowered edge, raw data from the truck will be sent to the centralised location, be processed into information and thereafter presented to warehouse/logistics managers. With empowered edge, the smart-truck can processed data into information. They then have the ability to only send important alerts to the warehouse manager which is a quicker process. In the case of load-shedding in South Africa, smart-trucks can alert the relevant individuals about delays. Other smart-trucks can instantly provide information of better routes to take in the event of load-shedding or traffic.

Both Gartner (2019) and CBInsights (2018) said that edge computing will grow to bigger heights with the dawn of 5G. However, I think that the progress of empowered edge computing depends on the availability of IoT devices.

9. ENERGYTECH

Moffitt (2018) listed Energy Technology as the thirteenth emerging technology for the period 2018 to 2028. Energy Technology is technology that generating, transporting and supplying energy in an environmentally friendly, secure and economical manner (Surana, Chikkatur, & Sagar, 2014). Companies will want to invest in energy technologies so that they can improve their carbon footprint and social responsibility. Especially in South Africa, with its wealth of natural energy, EnergyTech will thrive and it might also help South Africa and its electricity problems.

10. DEVSECOPS

Listed in Deloittes technology trends of 2019, DevSecOps is the philosphy of incorporating security to the DevOps process (Deloitte, 2019). Teams will "bake-in" security at every point of the development phase instead of layering it on the top after integration.

I can see many advantages. Being able to integrate security at every point of the development process will make it easier to respond to changes. It will also improve communication and collaboration among teams since security specialists are involved (Deloitte, 2019).

REFERENCES

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