Software Technologies to Dominate 2021

1. Internet of Behaviours (IoB)

By now, most of us have heard about the Internet of Things (IoT), which is a network of integrated devices that gather and exchange information over the internet. The vast data that has become available due to the IoT gives access to invaluable information about consumer behavior, their common interests, and preferences, and this is known as the Internet of Behaviors (IoB). IoB is one of the top 10 new technologies on our extensive list.

The IoB aims to decipher the data obtained from online user activity from a behavioral psychology standpoint. It understands human psychology from analyzing data and helps businesses apply that understanding in the creation and marketing strategies of new products and services. The IoB tracks and monitors human behaviors, and also applies different incentives to guide users towards actions that lie within preset performance parameters. By influencing consumer behavior, the value chain is enriched and redesigned. The IoB is a key resource for engaging customers, enhancing user experience, and marketing products efficiently. It is one of the most meaningful software technologies to look out for in 2021.

2. Intelligent Process Automation (IPA)

Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) is the combination of Artificial Intelligence (AI), cognitive automation, computer vision, and machine learning with Robotic Process Automation (RPA), where repetitive digital processes that are automated by RPA are capable of ‘learning’ and improving – thus utilizing AI to become ‘intelligent’. Machine learning enables robots so they can learn humanistic responses to complex situations which involve unstructured data. IPA has a promising future since it builds upon the significant capabilities of RPA, and robots perform flexibly, are quicker, and highly efficient, making it one of the rising software technology trends of 2021.

3. Human Augmentation

Humans have been meticulously experimenting with technology and medicine to enhance living standards and life expectancy as they know it. This drive for a better life, paired with up-and-coming technology and increasingly curious engineers & scientists has led to the emergence of Human Augmentation. Human augmentation leverages technologies like AI and IoT to enhance everyday life and most importantly, modify and increase human intelligence.

Human augmentation will be utilized for aiding individuals with physical disabilities - using bionics and prosthetic augmentation. In addition to that, experiments are being carried out with human genes to cure hereditary diseases. Human augmentation is projected to end physical disabilities and prevent injuries from occurring at all. Neurotechnology companies like Neuralink hope to develop a machine interface that will enable the brain to process enormous amounts of data. Tech leaders find human augmentation to be one of the most brilliant technologies of 2021.

4. Everything-as-a-Service (XaaS)

Everything-as-a-service (XaaS) business models play an important role for businesses – from small mom-and-pop stores to multinationals. XaaS refers to a cloud computing term – which describes the array of services and apps designed for users to access over the internet as per demand, rather than being utilized via on-premises means. XaaS allows users to customize their computing experiences on-demand. XaaS is one of the relatively new IT technologies to enter the digital space.

As-a-service business models have expanded to include a range of services such as function-as-a-service, IT-as-a-service, infrastructure-as-a-service, security-as-a-service, and database-as-a-service. XaaS will play a vital part in the economic recovery from the Covid pandemic. Forrester Research suggests that the cloud infrastructure market will grow by 35%, amounting to $120 billion in 2021. The pandemic fast-forwarded the cloud’s success and validated its proposed value. Businesses need on-demand and scalable cloud models to optimize processes, reduce cost and ensure business survival during the economic havoc wreaked by the pandemic. For example, Zoom became one of the most used platforms for video conferences. Zoom managed to achieve this popularity because it is cloud-based, thus swiftly meeting the rising customer demand. XaaS is one of the software technologies to look out for in 2021!

5. Cybersecurity

Businesses have digitally transformed and understand the need for cybersecurity. Cybersecurity refers to protecting critical networks that store important information from malevolent digital attacks. People have realized that basic antivirus software isn’t sufficient to protect their sensitive data and personal information available on the cloud. Even though cybersecurity is not a recent concept, the trends and technologies constantly evolve to prevent creative cyber-attacks.

There are many different types of known cyberattacks, but cybercriminals can always surprise you with a new technique to destroy your networked systems, which is why cybersecurity will be an essential and trending software technology in 2021. Commonly known cyberattacks include malware, ransomware, identity theft, phishing, insider threats, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, advanced persistent threats (APTs), and man-in-the-middle attacks. It is predicted that the global cybersecurity budget will be more than $1 trillion by 2025.

6. 5G Technology

One of the newest technologies out there currently is 5G. It is a cutting-edge technology that will be the future of cellular networks and telecom services. 3G and 4G technologies allowed us to surf the internet, use web services, and experience better bandwidth for online streaming. 5G is expected to be a revolutionary technology that will leverage advanced tech like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and the cloud to facilitate large-scale production facilities and factories, HD cameras to increase safety and manage traffic better, smart retail, and more.

Telecom and tech giants like Verizon, Tmobile, Apple, Nokia Corp, and Qualcomm are diligently working towards creating 5G applications. 5G is supposed to launch globally in 2021, with 50 telecom providers offering 5G services in almost 30 countries by the year-end. Speculated features include 20GBPS downlink and 10GBPS uplink, essentially rendering 5G technology at least 40x faster than 4G. It will transform the user experience completely. The current market leader for 5G technology is Switzerland, followed by South Korea and the US. It’s one of the leading software trends of 2021 and will dominate the future of telecom!

7. Edge Computing

It’s safe to say that edge computing will replace the cloud as the emerging technology trend in 2021. When we talk about new IT technologies, we can’t miss edge computing. As a growing number of companies started shifting to cloud computing, the limitations of that technology slowly came to light in certain situations. Edge computing enhances the value proposition of cloud computing, as data exists closer to where computing needs to take place – i.e., data is ‘on the edge’. It will allow users to process time-dependent data in remote locations with restricted internet access or no connectivity to a central point. Edge computing works as a makeshift micro datacenter in that situation.

Edge computing will become popular when IoT devices will be common. It is predicted that the market for edge computing will cross $10.96 billion worldwide by 2026.

8. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated simulation that makes objects appear real, making the user feel immersed in their environment. The surroundings can be observed via a VR headset or helmet. Augmented reality makes digital content come to life – as if the images and characters are present physically, in your own space. AR makes your devices useful in new and creative ways. You can search for products visually, just by pointing a camera at them.

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) is the future of VR since it translates real-time information into virtual data. SLAM is currently used by Tesla and will be especially utilized by mobile app development companies in the future. Many medical students will be trained using VR peripherals. Encouraging the usage of such peripherals could be a huge step towards better preparing surgeons and specialists in subjects and operations that are naturally delicate. Many gaming will be employing VR in the future to better entertain their audience. Lastly, Google Maps will enhance the user experience by using AR and SLAM to create a 3D vision of the roads and traffic, to make the experience more interactive for users.

These technologies have been present for the last decade, but now is the time that companies are exploring VR and AR diligently, creating a trending buzz around this tech in 2021.

9. Blockchain

Blockchain refers to a system of recording data so that it becomes virtually impossible to manipulate, hack, or deceive the system. A blockchain can be described as a digital ledger of transactions, that is distributed across the chain of computer networks on a blockchain. Every block in the chain has multiple transactions, and whenever a new transaction occurs across the blockchain, it is recorded on every individual’s ledger. With companies moving towards blockchain rapidly, it still is a new technology in 2021.

It is predicted that Blockchain will add $3.1 trillion in business value to companies by 2030. With the growing need for heightened data protection mechanisms, this year, blockchain solutions will use validation tools along with crypto-anchors, IoT beacons, and oracles - mechanisms that link digital assets to the physical world by injecting outside data into networks. This will improve trust and remove the dependency on human data entry, which is often prone to error and fraud. The growing crypto fascination means that blockchain will remain one of the trending software technologies of 2021.

10. Hybrid Cloud

Hybrid Cloud is an up-and-coming technology that combines public and private cloud services with on-premises infrastructure, resulting in better management and application portability across all three platforms. With time, the hybrid cloud infrastructure became less concerned about physical connectivity and focused more on supporting portable workloads across every cloud, as well as automatically assigning those workloads to the most suitable cloud environment. It remains one of the latest computer technologies in 2021.

According to Gartner, hybrid cloud infrastructure will be adopted by 90% of the businesses. The future of hybrid cloud is bright, and will most likely be focused on outcomes. For organizations, this means effectively measuring the benefits of hybrid cloud and ensuring the organization is on track in terms of costs and objectives. This is where the support of the right cloud provider will be critical.

The scalability, resilience, security, regulatory compliance, and cost savings offered by the hybrid cloud make it one of the top 10 software technologies to dominate 2021.

It is safe to conclude that 2021 will see a lot of change in terms of the latest computer technologies, and we should brace ourselves for an exciting future full of possibilities. Whether it’s human augmentation making life easier for differently-abled individuals, AR and VR changing the gaming experience forever, or 5G technology allowing better communication and possibly navigating traffic & retail - the future is indeed bright if we adapt to the new technologies in 2021.