There are countless ‘top ten trends in. . .’ lists floating around, and let’s be honest -- most of the time, we forget them as quickly as we finish them. But today we challenge you to break the habit. Take a minute to honestly consider the implications of what we’ve compiled here today. Any one of the items that follows could potentially become an entirely new revenue stream, rocketing your business to the forefront of your industry.
Customer Relationship Management Software (CRM)
Every day, businesses gain access to more and more data storage and internet-based solutions. The result is exciting new ways to stay up to date with customers and clients. CRM software tracks every piece of data it can get its hands on to ensure your sales staff’s bookkeeping and note-taking are kept to an absolute minimum. Contact information, contact history, campaign conversions and sales analytics are automatically gathered and translated into up-to-the-minute insights for your sales strategy.
BYOD/VoIP
Gone are the days of companies handing out cellular phones to ensure their employees are reachable at all times. With voice over IP (VoIP) solutions, businesses large and small can create virtual numbers that are forwarded to internet-enabled devices. By providing your staff with one of these numbers, they can take business calls on their personal phone, computer or tablet from anywhere in the world. With virtual voicemail, video conferencing, and integrated CRM, you’re actually getting more out of your budget than if hardware devices had been provided to your employees.
Advanced Cybersecurity and Data Compliance
Cyberattackers and security specialists are in a war of escalation. As the two battle it out for dominance, companies are stuck in the middle trying to juggle network security and staying on budget. Cloud storage and security offer new ways to protect your data and achieve compliance with HIPAA, PII, PCI and whatever other acronyms have been created since the writing of this blog post. Don’t buy into the myth that cloud storage is always less secure than local storage.
Cloud Productivity Software
Don’t let all those buzzwords trip you up; you’re probably already aware of this invaluable trend. Businesses get substantial cost savings and boosts in productivity in the form of online collaboration software. Microsoft Office and other document-creation apps have begun offering online versions of their services in order to grant users total flexibility and mobility. The best part is that online organization in services such as Office 365 guarantee files are no longer lost amidst a confusing folder full of differently named revisions; one online version retains records of all the changes.
Chatbots
Entry-level sales, receptionist and a number of other positions are being filled by one of the hottest current trends in technology: chatbots. Advancements in natural language processing have made it easier for computers to emulate conversational responses so customers feel more comfortable and natural during customer service and sales requests. These programs can provide browsing shoppers with helpful recommendations, customer service teams can screen for certain troubleshooting requests, or straightforward orders can be automated. Regardless of their function, chatbots make it easier to contact and sell consumers on various products and services.
Virtualization
If hardware-intensive processes or workstation management is a daily battle at your office, virtualization might just be the most relevant trend on this list. It makes more sense to bake one pie and slice it up than to bake a bunch of miniature pies, right? Virtualization does the same thing with your servers and workstations, so processing and application power never go underutilized. Pieces of software, or even entire operating system profiles, can be delivered over the internet to boost flexibility and eliminate localized installations.
Payment Methods/E-commerce
There was a time when purchasing anything on the internet evoked fear and paranoia. We’ve come a long way from that point, and online stores are no longer exclusive to titans such as Amazon and Apple. Advances in provider offerings allow business owners to not only build their own shops, but also accept new forms of currency transfers. Payments from Google Wallet and Apple Pay may soon become as commonplace as credit cards.
Internet of Things (IoT)
Once they understand it, most people wonder why no one thought of the IoT concept sooner. By adding simple environmental sensors and a wifi connection to just about anything, businesses can begin solving all sorts of everyday annoyances. Our favorite example involves an average refrigerator. With an inexpensive moisture detector and a connection to your wifi network, it can surmise when your vegetables will go bad and automatically add your next grocery trip to your calendar. Business owners with new and unique ideas on what to connect are raking it in, but even if you’re too late to the scene there’s still money to be made in how to best utilize all the new data for your clients.
Machine Learning/AI
No longer reserved for the lexicon of sci-fi novels and math majors, machine learning and AI are working hard in the background of the internet’s most successful sites. By analyzing endless amounts of data, machine learning processes connect the dots between requests (when they’re made, how they’re phrased, etc.) to the most profitable results. Even if you had the human resources to pour over this endless abyss of data, translating it into meaningful results for end users in a realistic timeframe would be impossible. When you employ learning computers, customers find products -- and the checkout -- faster.
Virtual Reality
If you think VR is a costly luxury reserved for gaming and media consumption, think again. Designing and consulting for VR-commerce is already one of the most lucrative businesses of the year, and we expect to see a lot of business move into this head-mounted space. Businesses can provide customers with more expansive demonstrations of their product, or just augment their marketing strategy to incorporate this new medium. Regardless, virtual reality is here to stay, and early birds will get the worm.
Before you know it, the technologies listed here will seem ancient. And if you’re left trying to leapfrog to the next evolution in trends, there could be some nasty growing pains. What you really need is a specialist to advise you on the pulse of the technology market. And while that may seem unrealistic and expensive, it’s actually just a phone call away. IT consulting is at the foundation of all our services and solutions. Contact us today.
