Eight (8) technology trends for 2020

Technology is now growing at such a rapid speed that yearly estimates of trends can seem out-of-date before they even go live as a published blog post or article. As technology evolves, it facilitates faster change and progress, causing an acceleration of the rate of transformation, until sooner or later it will become exponential. 

Technology-oriented professions don’t change at the same speed, but they do grow, and the experienced IT professional recognizes that his or her role will not stay the same. And an IT worker of the 21st century will continually be learning (out of necessity if not desire).

What does this mean for you? It means staying up-to-date with technology trends. And it means looking into the future, to know which skills you’ll need to know and what types of jobs you want to be qualified to do. Here are eight technology trends you should watch-out for in 2020, and some of the jobs that will be created out of these trends.

1. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE  (AI)

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has already received a lot of thrill in recent years, but it continues to be a trend to watch because its effects on how we live, work and play are only in the early stages. In addition, other branches of Artificial Intelligence (AI) have evolved, as well as Machine Learning, which we will go into below. AI refers to computers systems built to imitate human intelligence and perform tasks such as recognition of images, speech or patterns and decision making. AI can do these tasks faster and more precisely than humans.

Nine out of Ten Americans use AI services in one form or another every day, including navigation apps, smartphone, streaming services, personal assistants, ride-sharing apps, home personal assistants, and smart home devices. With regards to consumer use, AI is used to schedule trains, measure business risk, predict maintenance, and improve energy efficiency, among many other money-saving everyday jobs.

AI is one part of what we refer to generally as computerization, and computerization is a hot topic because of potential job loss. Experts say computerization will eliminate 73 million more jobs by 2030. However, computerization is creating jobs as well as jettisoning them, especially in the field of AI: Experts foresee that jobs in AI will number 23 million by 2020. Jobs will be created in development, programming, testing, support and maintenance, to name a few. Artificial Intelligence (AI) architect is one such job. Some say it will soon rival data scientist in need for skilled professionals. To know more about potential jobs in AI, read about building a career in AI or why you should earn an AI certification.

2. MACHINE LEARNING

Machine Learning is a subcategory of Artificial Intelligence (AI). With Machine Learning, computers are programmed to learn to do something they are not programmed to do: they learn by discovering patterns and insights from data. In general, we have two types of learning, supervised and unsupervised.

While Machine Learning is a subcategory of AI, we also have subcategories within the sphere of Machine Learning, including neural networks, natural language processing (NLP), and deep learning. Each of these subcategories offers an opportunity for specializing in a career arena that will only grow.

Machine Learning is rapidly being deployed in all kinds of industries, bringing forth a huge demand for experimented professionals. The Machine Learning market is estimated to grow to $8.81 billion by 2022. Machine Learning applications are used for data analytics, data mining and pattern recognition. On the consumer end, Machine Learning powers web search results, real-time ads and network intrusion detection, to name only a few of the many tasks assigned to it.

In addition to completing numerous tasks on our behalf, it is creating jobs. Machine Learning jobs rank among the top developing jobs on LinkedIn, with almost 2,000 job listings posted. And these jobs pay well: In 2017, the median salary for a machine learning engineer was $106,225. Machine Learning jobs include engineers, developers, researchers, and data scientists.

3. ROBOTIC PROCESS AUTOMATION OR RPA

Like AI and Machine Learning, Robotic Process Automation, or RPA, is another technology that is generating jobs. RPA is the use of software to automate business methods such as interpreting applications, facilitating business transactions, dealing with data, and even replying to emails. RPA automates repetitive tasks that people used to do. These are not just the basic tasks of a low-paid worker: up to 45 percent of the undertakings we do can be automated, comprising the work of financial managers, doctors and Chief Executive Officers.

Although Forrester Research predicts RPA automation will impend the livelihood of 230 million or more knowledge workers, or almost 9 percent of the global workforce, RPA is also creating new jobs while eliminating existing jobs. McKinsey finds that less than 5 percent of businesses can be totally automated, but about 60 percent can be partially automated.

For you as an IT expert looking to the future and trying to understand technology trends, RPA offers plenty of career opportunities, including developer, project manager, business analyst, solution architect and consultant. And these jobs pay well. SimplyHired.com says the usual RPA salary is $73,861, but that is the average compiled from salaries for junior-level developers up to senior solution architects, with the top 10 percent earning over $141,000 annually. So, if you’re keen on learning and pursuing a career in RPA, the Introduction to Robotic Process Automation (RPA) course should be the next step you take to start a RPA career. 

4. EDGE COMPUTING

Previously a technology trend to watch, cloud computing has become mainstream, with key players Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud controlling the market. The use of cloud computing is still growing, as more and more businesses migrate to a cloud solution. But it’s no longer the developing technology. 

As the quantity of data we’re dealing with continues to increase, we’ve realized the limitations of cloud computing in some situations. Edge computing is designed to help solve some of those challenges as a way to bypass the inexpression caused by cloud computing and getting data to a datacentre for processing. It can exist “on the edge,” if you will, closer to where computing needs to happen. For this reason, edge computing can be used to process time-sensitive data in inaccessible locations with limited or no connectivity to a centralized location. In those situations, edge computing can act like mini datacentres. Edge computing will increase as use of the Internet of Things (IoT) devices intensifies. By 2022, the global edge computing market is  predicted to reach $6.72 billion. As with any rising market, this will create various jobs, specifically for software engineers.

If you wish to get a thorough understanding of what edges means , and how is it different from cloud computing, read more here. 

5. VIRTUAL REALITY AND AUGMENTED REALITY

 Augment Reality (AR) enhances the environment of the user while Virtual Reality (VR) immerses the user in an environment. Although VR has primarily been used for gaming so far, it has also been used for training, as with VirtualShip, a simulation software used to train U.S. Navy, Army and Coast Guard ship captains. The popular Pokemon Go is an example of AR.

Both VR and AR have gigantic potential in training, entertainment, marketing, education and even rehabilitation after an injury. Either of them could be used to train doctors to perform surgery, offer museum goers a deeper experience, enhance theme parks, or even enhance marketing, as with this Pepsi Max bus shelter.

There are major contributors in the VR market, like Google, Samsung and Oculus, but plenty of start-ups are forming and they will be hiring for their services with time. The demand for specialists with VR and AR skills will only increase. Getting started in VR doesn’t require a lot of specialized skill. Basic programming knowledge and a forward-thinking mind set can land a job, although other employers will be looking for optics as a skill-set and hardware engineers as well.

6. BLOCKCHAIN

Although most people think of blockchain technology in connection to cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, blockchain offers high security that is useful in many other ways. In the simplest way, blockchain can be defined as data you can only add to, not take away from or change. Hence the term “chain” because you’re making a chain of data. Not being able to change the preceding blocks is what makes it so secure. Furthermore, blockchains are consensus-driven, so no one entity can take control of the data. With blockchain, you don’t need a trusted mediator to oversee or authenticate transactions. You can refer this  Blockchain tutorial for a detailed and thorough understanding of the technology.

Several industries are involving and applying blockchain, and as the use of blockchain technology increases, so too does the demand for skilled professionals. In that regard, we are already behind. According to Techcrunch.com, blockchain-related jobs are the second-fastest growing category of jobs, with 14 job openings for every one blockchain developer. A blockchain developer specializes in developing and executing architecture and solutions using blockchain technology. The average yearly salary of a blockchain developer is $130,000. If you are captivated by Blockchain and its applications and want to make your career in this fast-growing industry, then this is the right time to learn Blockchain and be ready for an exciting future.

7. INTERNET OF THINGS (IoT)

 Many businesses are now being built with WiFi connectivity, meaning they can be connected to the Internet. The Internet of Things is the future and has already aided devices, home appliances, cars and much more to be connected to and exchange data over the Internet. And we’re only in the early stages of IoT: the number of IoT devices extended to 8.4 billion in 2017 is estimated to reach 30 billion devices by 2020.

As consumers, we’re already using and benefitting from IoT. We can lock our doors remotely if we forget to when we leave for work and preheat our ovens on our way home from work, all while tracking our fitness on our Fitbits and welcoming a ride with Lyft. But businesses also have much to gain now and in the near future. The Internet of Things (IoT) facilitates better safety, efficiency and decision making for businesses as data is collected and analysed. It can allow analytical maintenance, speed up medical care, improve customer service, and offer benefits we haven’t even imagined yet.

However, despite this boon in the expansion and adoption of IoT, specialists say not enough Information Technology (IT) professionals are getting trained for Internet of Things (IoT) jobs. An article at ITProToday says we’ll need 200,000 more IT workers that aren’t yet in the pipeline, and that a survey of engineers found 25.7 percent believe inadequate skill seems to be the industry’s biggest hindrance to growth. For someone interested in a career in IoT, that means easy entry into the field if you’re motivated, with a range of options for getting started. Skills needed include IoT security, cloud computing knowledge, data analytics, automation, understanding of embedded systems, device knowledge, among others. After all, it’s the Internet of Things, and those things are many and varied, meaning the skills needed are as well.

8. CYBERSECURITY

Cybersecurity might not seem like evolving technology, due to the fact that it has been around for a while, but it is emerging just as other technologies are. That’s in part because threats are constantly new. The malicious hackers who are trying to illegally access data are not going to give up any time soon, and they will continue to find ways to get through even the toughest security measures. It’s also in part because new technology is being modified to enhance security. As long as we have hackers, we will have cyber security as an emerging technology because it will constantly evolve to defend against those hackers.

As evidence of the strong need for cybersecurity experts, the number of cybersecurity jobs is growing three times faster than other tech jobs. However, we’re falling short when it comes to filling those jobs. As a result, it’s expected that we will have 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs by 2021.

Many cyber security jobs pay six-figure incomes, and roles can range from ethical hacker to security engineer to Chief Security Officer, offering a promising career path for someone who wants to get into and stick with this territory.