The year is draining as resilient housing and stock markets are challenging the economy, changes caused by the promise of a pandemic that will have an impact on the technology, businesses, and all other industries over the next several years. In 2020-21, IT professionals will continue to learn, unlearn and relearn. The worldwide information technology community is at home and is working. The top technological trends to be seen in 2021 are contactless driving, cloud computing, virtual reality, and augmented reality.
Microsoft and Amazon were implementing work-from-home policies that set the tone for much of the industry. Desktop and laptop PCs are coming back to the center of our lives, taking some of the momentum from smartphones. Bill Gates is cementing his position as a leading voice for global health. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos re-emerges as a day-to-day force within the company, and Amazon Consumer CEO announces plans to retire.
The philanthropy of MacKenzie Scott, the former wife of the Amazon founder, is one of the biggest stories of the year. The stock market and housing boom, while many Americans struggle to make ends meet, gives Amazon an even more vital role in the economy, writes Jennifer Lazowska. The global travel industry, restaurants, traditional retail, event business and others relying on physical interaction continue to be affected by the imposition of social distancing verdicts.
The uncovering and fighting of COVID-19 were crucial to technology companies, life science institutions. Bill Gates was a leading voice in the pandemic for science and equity. In the last weeks of this year, the US and Tech industry struggled against the unprecedented cyber attack.
Big tech promised generational changes in consumer technology this year. Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, Sony, and AMD actually delivered on their bombastic claims. The biggest star has to be the M1 chip in Apple's new laptops and the Mac Mini. The new Macs and the new gaming hardware we got in 2020 really have kicked off noticeably different and better eras in computing.
It is unlikely that Intel-based machines will achieve the battery life of the M1. It's going to be a rough line to hoe for the whole PC industry. No next-gen launch title slate is available for Microsoft's Xbox Series X and S. In their graphic settings, new graphics cards from both Nvidia and AMD usually force gamers to make trade-offs. At the same time, before this year, the 4K, HDR, and elevated refresh rates were at best a stretch target.
The 2020 phones were also great, including the Galaxy S20 line of phones from Samsung and the iPhone 12 mini. A series of new generation gaming experiences starts with the Playstation 5 console and PC graphics cards. In contrast to the last refreshment of the large console, it doesn't seem that any of them have stumbled out significantly.
The Asus ROG G14 Zephyrus gaming laptop and the Mini 2 drone from DJI are simply good gadgets that don't claim to be anything next-gen, although they were fully adequate; GoPro Hero 9, DJI's Mini 2 drone, Nintendo's Mario Kart AR cars, and Sony's WH-1000XM4 headphones are on the list. The VanMoof S3 e-bike and Dell's XPS 13 2-in-1 are also worth mentioning.
In the last decade, Artificial Intelligence (AI) received a lot of buzzes. By 2025, the AI market is expected to grow to a $190 billion industry, with over $57 billion in global spending on cognitive and AI systems in 2021. Machine Learning AI is also used in all kinds of industries, creating an enormous demand for qualified professionals. Forrester predicts that 9% of new US jobs will be created by AI, machine learning, and automation by 2025. The project will create jobs including professional robot monitoring, data scientists, automation specialists, and content curators. It is the newest trend of technology you have to listen carefully too!
Another technology that automates jobs is robotic process automation or RPA. RPA automatically automates recurring tasks used by individuals. Forrester Research estimates that RPA automation will threaten 230 million or more knowledge workers' livelihoods. An RPA developer can earn 534 kg per year - the next technological trend to follow!
It’s a no-brainer that the emerging technology trend is no longer cloud computing. Edge computing is designed to help resolve certain cloud computing deficiencies. It can be used in remote processing with a limited or no connecting connection to a central location for time-sensitive data. The world market for computer technology is projected to reach 6.72 billion dollars by 2022. Quantum computing is a computational form that benefits from quantum phenomena such as superposition and quantum interlocking. People will require knowledge about quantum mechanics, linear algebra, probability, theory of information, and machine learning.
Additionally, AR and VR offer enormous potential in training, entertainment, education, marketing, and even post-injury rehabilitation. By 2022 the global market in AR and VR should increase to US$ 209.2 billion. Starting in VR requires not much skill – basic programming skills and a forward-looking mindset can make a job.
BONUS addition for tech geeks- Blockchain is a consensus-driven system that stores data in a blockchain. With the use of this technology, the demand for skilled professionals is also increasing. According to a PwC report, the average annual wage in the country of a blockchain developer is $469 K.
The Internet of Things or IoT is another promising new technology trend. Forecasts indicate that some 50 billion of these devices will be in use worldwide by 2030. In order to become a part of this career, you need practical experience in programming languages, OOPS basics, and flat and relational databases. We expect the 5G services will revolutionize our lives by enabling advanced technologies such as AR and VR, as well as cloud-based gaming services such as Google Stadia, NVidia GeForce Now, and much more.
Lastly, the usage of all these advanced techs can get heavy on your devices and cause mass drainage. The most unlikely name on the list but yet the most crucial would be cybersecurity. By 2021, $6 trillion of cybersecurity will be spent globally. There are three times as many cybersecurity jobs as other technology. The profitable 6-figure revenue of cybersecurity jobs is between ethical hacker and security engineer and chief security officer. A report states that there is such a need for proper cybersecurity that the world spends $6 billion on cybersecurity by 2021.
Uber and other services for ride-hailing are increasingly popular. You can take an Uber ride to work, enter a pub and go home at night. We don't walk to burger joints or take our shopping bags, all of us rely on technology but are independent of each other. Rampant consumerism and short-term syndrome may lead to a bright or bleak future; we have no hint to date.
