As a decision-maker for your business, it’s important to keep track of emerging business technology trends. Some of 2021’s trends are continuing to advance from previous years. Heavier reliance on AI (artificial intelligence) is a continuing trend, as well as the advancement of the adoption of 5G cellular networks. There are several other emerging trends, however, with some likely directly attributable to the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic.

Let’s take a look at some of these and other trends that are developing in 2021.

 

Remote Onboarding

 

This trend is growing exponentially in 2021, thanks to the massive and in many cases, permanent shift of the workplace, from the traditional pre-COVID office setting to remote locations. Many businesses discovered their new workforce business model brought some unexpected, but very welcome savings. While some organizations have completely transitioned to a full-time remote workforce, others are allowing employees to split their time between the office and home.

To meet this significant change, organizations have discovered a need for a useful, intuitive tool that will allow them to bring new employees into the fold — seamlessly and effectively transitioning them from new hire to active and engaged employee. Companies planning to stay with their remote workforce model will be heavily investing in technology that helps new hires quickly become valued and contributing team members regardless of their physical location.

 

Cybersecurity 

 

As long as cybercriminals continue to devise ways to wreak havoc for businesses and individuals, the topic of cybersecurity will always be at the forefront. Gartner, one of the world’s top IT research firms, likely agrees with this statement, as two of their nine emerging trends in 2021 relate to cybersecurity.

One of their emerging trends, privacy-enhancing computation, involves multiple new technologies that will provide safer environments in which to process and analyze sensitive data. One of their other emerging trends, cybersecurity mesh, is a new approach that considers the many assets some companies now have outside what was once their traditional security perimeter. Rather than the traditional security approach of “walled city”, cybersecurity mesh is a distributed approach that encloses a security perimeter around the identity of a thing (IoT) or a person.

 

IoB

 

Internet of Behaviors tools are becoming much more prevalent in the workplace. While commercial truck drivers are already aware of the ability of IoB to monitor their driving behavior, other employees are becoming accustomed to their employer monitoring whether they’re washing their hands, per corporate guidelines.

This type of monitoring proved extremely helpful during the pandemic. Using RFID tags or sensors, employers were able to ensure that employees were following food handling and other pandemic safety guidelines. Computer vision was another tool some employers implemented to monitor compliance with mask protocols. It remains to be seen how much more the IoB will change behavior, both in and out of the workplace.

 

Keeping Up

 

Some of these trends are now making inroads into business operations at an astonishing rate. While the newer technologies are exciting in many respects, they present a unique challenge for those whose business is in another industry and who simply use technology as a tool. These companies need to have a partner that navigates through these complex, rapidly changing technologies, and delivers the most critical and most useful components to their doorstep.

Singularis IT is precisely such a partner. Our flexible and customizable White Glove IT services provide everything a business needs in terms of IT services. This unique relationship with our clients means they can focus all their efforts on innovation and expansion within their own industry, knowing their IT services are managed by IT professionals, 24/7/365.

Interested? You can find out more about our comprehensive IT solutions, here.