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New and Existing Tech Set to Take Centre-Stage in 2022

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How will we remember 2021? The year almost gone by will always be known as the year people learnt how to survive amidst the pandemic while staying on course with their lives. From hyper connectivity to smart homes, technology became a mainstay in all sectors as people continued their lives through the digital medium. In this regard, 2022 will be a landmark year in terms of disruptive technology and some of the major trends to look forward to will include seamless collaboration, environment and sustainability, edge computing, artificial intelligence and machine learning, disruptive connectivity, augmented reality and virtual reality, and of course, the all-pervasive cloud.

Seamless Collaboration and Hybrid Work
While various organisations had already begun pivoting towards offering employees the option of working from home a couple of days each week, COVID-19 catalysed the workplace ecosystem and ushered in the era of hybrid work. Several surveys, including Barco’s survey on future workplaces, reveal that employees are not really keen on full time remote work any longer they are looking at working from office for a few days each week while enjoying the freedom to work from home when it suits their needs. And this trend is being enabled by seamless collaboration devices which ensure that hybrid work is as efficient as in person collaboration, if not more.

While 2021 was the year of disruptive technology enabling all aspects of our lives, 2022 will be the year wherein all these technologies will be perfected


Environment and Sustainability
COVID-19 has prompted people to relook at the way they treat nature. Not only are people more aware now, but organisations are also stepping up to do their part for environment and sustainability, keeping in mind the worrisome climate changes on a global scale. 2021 saw companies prioritise environmental social governance and there is no doubt that the movement will gather steam in 2022. Global companies are also pledging to lower their carbon footprint and we are also seeing the emergence of eco-scoring on products. This score tells customers how much their products are impacting the environment, making them a part of the environment sustainability journey.

Edge computing
As with all disruptive technology, edge computing is playing a part in making data assimilation and processing faster and more seamless. Enabling data processing at a place proximal to where the data is being created, edge computing ensures that devices can function faster, given the quicker turnaround in data processing and transmission.And, with the influx of internet of things and artificial intelligence, the edge computing industry is gaining greater scope, with studies predicting that, by next year, the global edge computing market is expected to reach 6.72billion dollars.

AI and ML
These are terms which have been doing the rounds since the last couple of years but it is only post-pandemic that they have really gained weight and prominence for the way they enable industries to achieve excellent performances. Indeed, if not for AI and ML, several of the companies which adapted to the hybrid new era would have gone out of business. Similarly, ML enabled companies to process copious amounts of data and come out with actionable insights, thus helping them tailor their services to the requirements of the hybrid new world. And both these markets are set to grow exponentially in 2022, with novel use cases and widespread adoption across industries.

5G
Many countries already have access to disruptive connectivity and lag free communication, thanks to 5G, and India is not far behind. With 5G will come minimal latency and the potential to enhance almost every segment and industry, given the proliferation of digital into all walks of life. With India already boasting of a variety of 5G-ready devices, it is just a matter of time and, it is possible that the time could be 2022.

AR and VR
We have all heard of how gamers boost their performance through the adoption of AR and VR but now, these technologies are set to step out of the gaming shadow in a pronounced manner. The pandemic saw people stuck in their homes, using VR and AR to access services such as shopping, virtual travel, etc. Further, these innovations are also being used to train and skill people remotely, thus empowering the workforce.In fact, surveys state that, by next year, the global AR and VR market could reach a size of 209.2 billion dollars, thus indicating the potential inherent here.

Cloud Ecosystem
People no longer look at physical devices to store their data, almost everyone has moved to the cloud. And, 2022 is going to be the year of the hybrid cloud, which will see enterprise IT architectures becoming more and more allpervasive. With companies setting out to offer cloud as a service, there is no stopping this technology from booming in the months and years ahead.

While 2021 was the year of disruptive technology enabling all aspects of our lives, 2022 will be the year wherein all these technologies will be perfected. More use cases will arise, helping people and companies realise the benefits and inherent potential of these companies. There is no questioning the fact that, in 2022, the sky is the limit when it comes to technology and innovation. And, these trends are going to, undoubtedly, take centre stage.