2019 Tech Forecast: 11 Experts Predict The Next Wave Of Breakout Technologies

In 2018, the world witnessed the continued development of technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality. As these tools become more accessible and widely used among both businesses and consumers, many tech industry experts are speculating about what the next “big thing” will be. Looking ahead to 2019, we asked a panel of Forbes Technology Council members for their take on upcoming trends in their field. From blockchain as a service to enterprise content management, here are their predictions about the next wave of breakout technologies.

1. Blockchain

The blockchain is not as revolutionary as artificial intelligence (AI), or as intuitive and user-friendly as voice control, but it will transform the way we handle finance, real estate, internet of things (IoT), the supply chain of most industries and much more. That’s why governments are rushing to incorporate it in every sense they can; they know the high cost of falling behind on this. – Nacho De Marco, BairesDev

2. Blockchain As A Service

In 2019 we will begin to see the first practical implementations of blockchain, beyond the cryptocurrency use case, and unlock distributed marketplaces and computing systems that leverage communities for sharing of resources in both a cost- and resource-efficient manner. These technologies will be enabled through the blockchain-as-a-service platforms being unveiled by IBM, Azure and AWS. – Danny Allan, Veeam Software

3. AI-Led Automation

The breakout technology of 2019 is definitely going to be AI-led automation. It’s expected that data mining and management, business processes, information technology (IT) services, customer support, and many other sectors will witness automation via neural networks and machine-learning-based solutions. – Amit Jnagal, Infrrd

4. Machine Learning

AI and machine learning (ML) were born in the ’80s, but the hardware was never fast enough to deliver the expected promise. Now, ML libraries are readily available, and the cloud provides all the computing you need. Thanks to AI and ML, marketers can improve revenue growth, support reps can deliver better answers, service professionals can deliver insights and customers can connect all their data. – Vinay Pai, Bill.com

5. Enterprise Content Management

In 2019, more documentation will originate digitally, eliminating the need for organizations to “go paperless” in the first place. Enterprise Content Management (ECM) software integrates disparate data from across your organization through the use of electronic forms and automated workflows. By empowering this exchange of data, businesses maximize their return on investment (ROI) and customer acquisition costs (CAC) throughout customer lifecycles. – James Hwang, Cal Net Technology Group, a NexusTek Company

6. AI For The Back Office

There’s a lot of hype around the potential of AI, but one area that is often overlooked is the power of AI to revolutionize workflows. In 2019, we’ll see the start of AI making a noticeable impact on the back office, from increasing electronic operations to streamlining identification and credentialing. These developments have the ability to transform labor-intense processes across industries. – Charles Aunger, Health2047 Inc.

7. Quantum Computing AI Applications

2019 will be the year of quantum computing AI applications. Quantum technology recently became available for the public on the cloud and is now set to have a large transformative impact on many industries, providing solutions and answers to problems that supercomputers couldn’t solve before. Major applications are expected in health care (material science), trading and in cybersecurity. – Nir Kaldero, Galvanize Inc.

8. Mainstreamed IoT

While IoT is not a new concept, it will move from pre-adoption to a mainstream solution that retail, manufacturing, health care and other industries will integrate as an everyday business operation. It will change the way consumers and businesses get real-time data, engage with their users and interact with AI and machine learning. – Frank Cittadino, QOS Networks

9. 5G

With the recent explosion of connected devices and IoT, mobile connectivity via 5G will become a major player and competitor to all things WiFi. But the real question will be who can bring 5G to market quickly, painlessly and affordably for both consumers and industry alike. – Andy Dalton, IVM, Inc.

10. Realistic Robots

If you’ve seen any of the Boston Dynamics robot videos, like the dog that opens doors, you know there’s a whole frontier of robotics that is starting to get into exciting (or scary) territory. As these robots integrate the type of intelligence that machine learning and modern AI techniques offer, we’re going to start seeing more and more robots that look and feel like living beings. – David Isaac Murray, Doctor.com

11. Split Testing Via ML

Split testing, or A/B testing, has helped companies increase conversions for their businesses across the board. I think we’re going to see an advancement with split testing thanks to machine learning. For example, instead of manually designing different layouts of a website and seeing which one performs better, different layouts would be shown to different customers automatically. – Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster

Source: www.forbes.com