Everyone thinks technology is a fast-paced industry, and in many ways it’s true.
Certainly there are regions of the tech industry that are completely populated with “move fast and break” types who race to create minimal viable products and talk about “NFTs” and “Web 3” etc. I have.
But there are some areas (like the fax machine) that aren’t always forgotten as old tools are replaced by newer innovations because the layers of technology build up slowly.
All of this, plus the risks inherent in recent attempts at forecasting, can make coming up with a set of tech trends for the year ahead a little tricky. But we spoke with analysts, scrutinized the data, and leveraged the expertise of the entire ZDNET team to create this month’s special report. This report aims to provide at least a rough guide to what technology will look like in 2023.
And there are some big trends we can reasonably be sure of.
developer, cloud, etc.
Even if big tech companies are holding off on hiring for now, that doesn’t mean the demand for tech workers will go away. Because the last few years have proven the benefits of investing in technology. Whether it’s enabling new ways to connect with customers (and sell) or supporting a workforce with a hybrid workforce, spending on technology is now seen by bosses as an investment with real benefits. I’m here.
For many organizations, dealing with the past few years has meant a rapid acceleration in the use and appreciation of technology. So while 2023 looks like a tough year for the economy as a whole, many analysts expect spending to pick up. As a result, demand will remain strong, especially for developers and technical security professionals.
Looking at a few specific technologies, it’s clear that the move to cloud computing will continue, and this long-term trend shows no signs of abating. What could change is that businesses will become more analytical about their cloud usage and take a larger portion of their spending.
Finding ways to make cloud usage more efficient and cost-effective can be an important consideration in the coming year. Your IT budget will increase, but that doesn’t mean there’s room for waste. In fact, it’s encouraging to see sustainability once again on the agenda of many tech companies. This is something we are likely to see more of in 2023 and beyond.
the three trends
There are three big consumer tech trends I’m watching with interest in 2023, and you’ll find some of the most interesting innovations here. Small steps in 2023 can have big repercussions in the years to come.
Foldable smartphones have been around for a while, but they still represent a small part of the overall market. I still love the idea of being able to fold up a big screen and take it with me. There are some interesting use cases for foldable phones. The question is whether consumers will be persuaded to part with their cash.
The second big trend concerns virtual reality, augmented reality, and the metaverse. Big tech companies are investing heavily here, and the broader metaverse business model is still fluid at best, but there are some indications that the underlying technology is reaching an inflection point. Headset technology is starting to converge and software is getting easier to use. But the biggest problem is that consumer interest and trust is still low. Even if this is because sci-fi writers had a dystopian view of the future of headsets long ago. equally high priority.
One less visible, but perhaps closer, technology trend is ambient computing. This concept has been around for decades. The idea is that the world around us, from smart speakers to smart homes, has built-in intelligence so we don’t have to carry technology with us. Ambient computing is designed to blend in with the environment around us. This may be why the trend is invisible to many, at least until now.
Also: What is ambient computing and everything you need to know
In some ways, long-term forecasting is easier than short-term forecasting, especially when it comes to technology. I know the general direction of travel, but I don’t know when I’ll actually get there. Some of the breakthroughs were decades ahead of what was five years ahead. Perhaps he thinks 2023 will be the year some of that really starts to get there.