The 5 Biggest Technology Trends In 2021 Everyone Must Get Ready For Now

The 5 Biggest Technology
Trends In 2021 Everyone
Must Get Ready
For Now

© 2020 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
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The world is changing faster than ever, and the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated
many technology trends. In this article, we look at the biggest trends for 2021 everyone
should get ready for now.
It might seem strange to be making predictions about 2021, when it’s far from certain
how the remainder of 2020 is going to play out. No-one foresaw the world-changing
events of this year, but one thing is clear: tech has been affected just as much as every
other part of our lives.
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Is virtual reality (VR) finally going mainstream? The availability of affordable, consumer-
friendly VR headsets like Oculus Go would certainly suggest so. But what I find really
encouraging is the increasing use of VR outside the realms of gaming and
entertainment.
All types of businesses are enthusiastically embracing VR. For me, seeing businesses get
behind a technology trend is a sure sign that it’s tipping over into the mainstream.
The 5 Biggest Technology Trends In 2021
Everyone Must Get Ready For Now

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Another thing that is clear is that today’s most important tech trends will play a big part
in helping us cope with and adapt to the many challenges facing us. From the shift to
working from home to new rules about how we meet and interact in public spaces, tech
trends will be the driving force in managing the change.
In many ways, Covid-19 will act as a catalyst for a whole host of changes that were
already on the cards anyway, thanks to our increasingly online and digital lives. Things
will just happen more quickly now, with necessity (long acknowledged as the mother of
invention) as the driving force. And should it be the case that – as certain US presidents
have predicted – Covid-19 “magically disappears” – the changes it has brought about
will not, as we will have learned to do a lot of things more efficiently and safely.

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Here’s my overview of how the major tech trend that I identified in my book Tech Trends
in Practice, are likely to play out during the next year. Some will play their part in helping
us to recover "normality" (whatever that means), while some of them will make it easier
for us to understand and navigate a changed reality.

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI is undoubtedly one of the biggest tech trends at the moment, and during 2021 it will
become an even more valuable tool for helping us to interpret and understand the world
around us. The volume of data we are collecting on healthcare, infection rates, and the
success of measures we take to prevent the spread of infection will continue to increase.
This means that machine learning algorithms will become better informed and
increasingly sophisticated in the solutions they uncover for us.
From computer vision systems monitoring the capacity of public areas to analyzing the
interactions uncovered through contact tracing initiatives, self-learning algorithms will
spot connections and insights that would go unnoticed by manual human analysis. They
will help us predict demand for services from hospitals and other healthcare providers,
and allow administrators to make better decisions about when and where to deploy
resources.

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
For business, the challenge will be to understand the changing patterns of customer
behavior. More human activity will take place online – from shopping and socializing to
virtual working environments, meetings, and recruitment. During 2021 we can expect the
tools we use to analyze these behavioral shifts to become more sophisticated and
increasingly fit the budget and infrastructure requirements of more and more
organizations.

2. Robotics, Drones, and Vehicle Automation
As the volume of passengers using public transport fluctuates from week to week,
depending on local conditions, initiatives around self-driving vehicles will continue at an
increasing pace. Driving efficiency across public transport networks will be a priority for
service providers as well as civic authorities, where reducing human labor costs will help
balance the uncertainty around customer demand.
In recent years we have seen the emergence of robots in the care and assisted living
sectors, and these will become increasingly important, particularly when it comes to
interacting with members of society who are most vulnerable to infection, such as the
elderly. Rather than entirely replacing the human interaction with caregivers that is so
important to many, we can expect robotic devices to be used to provide new channels of
communication, such as access to 24/7 in-home help, as well as to simply provide
companionship at times when it may not be safe to be sending nursing staff into homes.

2. Robotics, Drones, and Vehicle Automation
Additionally, companies finding themselves with premises that, while empty, still require
maintenance and upkeep, will turn to robotics providers for services such as cleaning and
security. This activity has already led to soaring stock prices for enterprises involved in
supplying robots.
Drones will be used to deliver vital medicine and, equipped with computer vision
algorithms, used to monitor footfall in public areas in order to identify places where there
is an increased risk of viral transmission.

3. The As-A-Service Revolution
“As-a-service” – the provision of services that we need to live and work through cloud-
based, on-demand platforms – is the key that has put the other tech trends we talk about
today in reach of anybody. It’s the reason why AI and robotics are a possibility for just
about any business or organization, regardless of their size or budget. Thanks to cloud
offerings from companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and an ever-growing horde of
startups and spinoffs, innovators in all fields can deploy cutting-edge tech with little
upfront investment in tools, equipment or specialized people.
As the ongoing pandemic rages around the world, we have clearly seen that companies
that rely on cloud to provide scalable solutions as-a-service are prospering. Take Zoom,
for example, which has quickly become a household name thanks to the speed with which
it was able to add servers and increase its coverage and quality of service. This was due to
its cloud-based nature and its partnerships with its own service providers, that were able
to quickly increase capacity to meet demand. In 2021 and beyond, this is going to become
increasingly important and more possibilities will open up for everyone.

4. 5G and enhanced connectivity
Faster and more reliable internet doesn't just mean we can load webpages more quickly
and spend less time waiting for videos to launch on Youtube. Each successive advance in
mobile connectivity from 3G onwards has unlocked new use cases for the internet. 3G
made web browsing and data-driven services useful on mobile devices, 4G led to the
growth of streaming video and music platforms as bandwidths increased, and 5G, likewise,
will open more doors in terms of what is possible.
5G means that services relying on advanced technologies such as augmented reality and
virtual reality (discussed below) as well as cloud-based gaming platforms like Google's
Stadia or NVidia's GeForce Now become a viable proposition, anywhere at any time. They
also threaten to make cable and fiber-based networks redundant, with their need for us to
be tethered to a particular location.

4. 5G and enhanced connectivity
In short, 5G and other advanced, high-speed networks make all of the other trends we
discuss here available anywhere, any time. Complex machine learning applications relying
on real-time access to Big Data sources can be conducted in the field, via automation. A
great example is Norwegian fishery operator Salmar that uses a 5G network to automate
the care and feeding of its fish. Image recognition algorithms are used to detect which fish
are over or under-feeding, and automatically dispense food and medicine needed to keep
them healthy. Initiatives like this will become increasingly important during 2021, where
businesses look to increase automation across their workforces.

5. Extended Reality (XR) – Virtual and Augmented
Reality (VR/MR)
These terms cover technology that uses glasses or headsets to project computer-
generated imagery directly into the user's field of vision. When it is superimposed over
what the user is viewing in the real world, it is AR. And when it is used to place the user
into an entirely computer-generated environment, it is VR.
During next year we can again expect to see these, in conjunction with the other trends
discussed here, assisting in tackling challenges posed by the current world situation.
Largely this will involve allowing us to avoid potentially dangerous situations where there
could be a risk of viral transmission. For example, medical examinations and diagnosis can
increasingly be carried out remotely. A solution available to opticians allows eye tests to
be carried out entirely in VR, as high-definition cameras give a clear image of the patient's
eye. An AR tool then allows the customer to browse the range of glasses on offer and see
what they look like on their own face without having to leave their home.

5. Extended Reality (XR) – Virtual and Augmented
Reality (VR/MR)
We will also see an increase in the use of VR and AR tools within education. This will
reduce the need for us to work in crowded classroom conditions – if not totally, then at
least in areas and during times when it is known that transmission rates are high.
And as more data on the conditions and manner in which viral transmission takes place
becomes available, AR tools will be used to give out real-time warnings when we move
through areas where the infection is known to have spread. Even simple steps like
reminding us to wash our hands when we touch a door handle in a public space or issuing
an alert when a device senses that we have touched our face without washing our hands,
could help to save lives and stop us spreading illness around the real-word environments
we inhabit and move through.

Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website
© 2020 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved© 2017 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website

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The 5 Biggest Technology Trends In 2021 Everyone Must Get Ready For Now

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