Emerging Trends In Strategic Technology Planning You Should Know

Strategic technology planning is as critical to the success of your organization as any business or marketing plan. Much like any other strategy that your organization develops, staying on top of emerging trends is what means the difference between achieving successful growth over time and continuing to leverage obsolete technologies and processes that don’t serve to keep your company running optimally or securely. Where do you start to implement more successful and relevant strategies? Let’s dive into some emerging trends in strategic technology planning you should know.

1. The Shift Towards Work-From-Anywhere Operations

With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of work has changed rapidly. The Pew Research Center estimates that around 71 percent of employed adults are working from home, making work-from-anywhere operations more prominent due to how organizations have needed to adapt in order to make work safer for their employees as well as the growing demand from employees to switch their models to something more flexible.

As such, there has been a growing shift towards work-from-anywhere operations for many companies that will likely show no signs of stopping anytime soon. These types of operations are often achieved with the support of various CRMs and popular SaaS companies (or, for those who need something specific to them, the creation of their own applications through digital engineering). While the occasional in-person meeting may need to be conducted, work-from-anywhere operations can be just as efficient and effective as in-person work.

2. Leveraging AI Engineering to Deliver Better Results in Business

Artificial intelligence has proven itself to be an invaluable asset to almost all businesses. In fact, statistics reveal that only 7 percent of businesses are not currently leveraging AI in their business model (but are looking further into it). The reality is that AI is everywhere. Whether it’s something to support customers like programmable voice messaging when they visit your website or AgTech hardware solutions that make farming simpler and more efficient, we depend on AI to drive technological innovation and streamline business operations.

AI engineering and AI governance is a growing strategic technology planning trend that allows organizations to automate the process of making updates to data, applications, and models so as to streamline AI delivery and guarantee that it continues to provide value to the business in question. Say, for example, that you develop a Zero Trust architecture with the support of AI. AI engineering will guarantee that your AI security solutions are continuing to defend your organization’s most precious data.

3. The Push Towards the Cloud

The cloud has become such an integral part of any modern business’ makeup, whether it’s in regards to public, private, or hybrid clouds. Why? Unlike the process of storing data internally – which can be both difficult to maintain and potentially problematic should anything happen to your in-house servers – cloud computing allows you to access services that run over the internet rather than having to run solely on your company’s computers.

Cloud technology has come a long way since it first came into mainstream consciousness. Today, there are many strategic technology planning trends that center around the cloud, which means more things for your business to focus on as you continue to leverage cloud-based programs in your own strategy. Let’s take a look at a few of the top trends involving the cloud:

• Cloud-Native Technologies or Platforms: Many are familiar with cloud-based, monolithic applications that dominate the market today. However, these solutions aren’t always as efficient as businesses would like them to be, requiring us to innovate in order to adapt and respond to rapid digital change. How? This is accomplished often via cloud-native technologies. Cloud-native technologies or platforms are often more cost-effective, independently scalable, and easier to manage than traditional cloud-based applications. If one wants to keep up with modern cloud technology, cloud-native technologies are the way to go.
• The Shift Towards Edge Computing: The cloud has allowed us to create a host of centralized services that essentially do the work for you, whether that’s storing important files away for later use or staying in communication with your employees remotely. However, innovation still needs to occur, which is why there’s a much larger focus on edge computing. The topic of edge computing can be a rather confusing one, but the simplified explanation is that edge computing seeks to do most of the computing on the device rather than in one of the many data centers leveraged by cloud-based companies or applications. This can greatly improve operational speed, security, and bandwidth.

Put simply, the cloud isn’t going anywhere, but both the explosive growth of the space and the need for continuous innovation to streamline current operations or address problems will most certainly change the face of the cloud over time. Knowing what to expect in regards to current cloud trends and how they will ultimately affect your business operations will help you move forward more successfully.

4. A Greater Emphasis on Hyperautomation

Every business owner knows that time is money. Fortunately, we live in a digital age where we can save a great deal of time by automating many of the processes that we rely on to drive business forward. Hyperautomation is a business-driven approach designed to help businesses identify many areas within their business that can benefit from complete automation – whether that’s in regards to IT processes or something simpler like social media posts. With hyperautomation, you can get more done from anywhere, focus more on what your business requires that can’t be automated, and improve your organization’s scalability. Strategic technology planning makes all the difference in how your organization grows and competes with tech-savvy companies. However, plans need to be updated in order to stay up-to-date with competitors. If you’re looking to learn more about the various trends that define strategic technology today, the guide above will give you further insight into the top trends and help you determine what your next steps should be so that you can build upon your operations for greater efficiency and security.

Guest Author: Aaron Smith

Aaron Smith is an LA-based content strategist and consultant in support of STEM firms. He covers industry developments and helps companies connect with clients. In his free time, Aaron enjoys swimming, swing dancing, and sci-fi novels.

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