The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 46: Dec/Jan 2019 | Page 37

TECHNOLOGY
REVVED UP
TECH - WHAT’S TRENDING?
OJO reviews the key tech trends of 2019 and
identifies what to look out for in 2020.
We sat down with Nathan, Tom and Kevin from OJO Solutions to look
back at the last 12 months in the world of technology. From the return
of the Google Glass to holographic lectures, we reviewed our
predications from last year and decided what was hot and what flopped.
From the exiting prospects that voice tech brings, to the start of the 5G
network and the possibilities of super-fast internet. As we round up
the decade and move to 2020 how has technology shaped our lives and
where is it heading?
What didn’t quite hit the mark this year?
Nathan
Tom
Kevin
Looking back at the year I had big hopes for
the return of Google Glass. It didn’t come
about but I’m excited to see what will happen
with some of the other players who have
shared their concepts recently. For me this
is possibly one of the game changers when
it’s right.
2018 was marked by the year of block chain.
2019 has definitely been a year of big data
and the role Artificial Intelligence (AI) and
Machine Learning can play in helping to
make the most of it. Block chain has so
many useful applications in enabling us
to have better control over our data and
ensuring information is true and real. Yet
its application in the real world continues to
struggle to find a home.
There is lots in the press about how future
generations will be taught by robots, but
the use of virtualised lectures through
holograms and Virtual Reality (VR) hasn’t
really taken off yet. The opportunity for
mixed reality to immerse and provide a new
educational experience seems a long way off.
Nathan
Tom
Kevin
What tech has really excited you
in 2019 and why? What do you think will dominate
the tech space next year?
It’s a dull one but an important one for me.
The use of Open Banking in the FinTech area
to enable people to have a better relationship
with money and build financial sustainability.
It’s a great example for me of how when we
start to bring solutions together, we can
create real impact. We’ve been dabbling in AI for the last
two years and I get really excited about
the potential to plug and play intelligent
services. The current world of AI still needs
a lot of clever (and often expensive) people
to do things to get you anywhere close to
intelligence. The move to AI as a service as
we do with computers and IT infrastructure
is an exciting proposition that will grow
significantly in 2020.
Nathan
The way in which we are starting to look at
how chat bots can work with us to create an
enhanced experience for our customers as
well as for our staff. There has been a lot of
fear mongering around robots taking our
jobs. I am really excited about how our lives
can be enhanced by letting machines do
what they do best.
Wearable technology has never really taken
off for me in the way I had hoped. It has been
really interesting to see how this has been
shaped in 2019 and beginning of a unified
experience that blends traditional with
modern whilst providing accessible apps that
have purpose on a tiny screen.
Tom
Kevin
The opportunity that 5G is promising to bring
and the role it will play in connecting us all
better and us within our cities. We can do
amazing things with sensors in the home,
but as soon as we leave our homes we are
left only with our phones. The opportunity
to build intelligent and informed connected
landscapes is pretty exciting. I am most
looking forward to when it will mean I never
need to sit in a traffic jam again!
Personalisation is becoming more and more
key to the user experience on websites
and in apps. With the power of data and
intelligence, the ability for AI to personalise
your user experience based on preferences
and past behaviour can already be done
today. This for me gets exciting when we can
provide unique user experiences that bring
rich media and content together to provide
a truly immersive and engaging experience
online.
For more info:
www.ojosolutions.com
@ojosolutions
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2019
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