5 technologies that will transform 2021

An unpredictable 2020 has seen big advances in the tech industry, and 2021 looks set to be the year that some long-promised technologies come to the fore. Digital transformation has been the key to 2020’s tech trends, driven by necessity and the realisation of just how valuable tech is to businesses of all sizes and sectors. Consumers have also benefited greatly from the convenience of a more digital approach to business management and core technologies are taking the lead when it comes to what to expect in 2021. While 2021 may prove to be as unpredictable as 2020, here are the five tech trends that will be making an impact, transforming more than we might think.

Mainstream 5G

The whole concept of 5G sometimes feels like it’s always being promised but never quite arrives. In 2021, that’s all set to change and 5G is going mainstream. The rise of remote working and digital collaboration in 2020 altered the demand for 5G and countries like China are well ahead of schedule for a full-scale 5G rollout by the start of 2021. As tech companies release more devices that are 5G capable, consumers will very soon be benefiting from faster download speeds and loading times. “We expect 5G to become the worldwide dominating mobile communications standard of the next decade.” Dr Christoph Grote, Senior Vice President Electronics, BMW Group There are still doubts about 5G though. Many people are wary of the technology and are investing in anti-radiation phone cases to prevent any potential threat of electromagnetic fields affecting our health. However, as 5G devices become more affordable, there’s little doubt that 2021 will see 5G become a vital part of our lives.

Pattern Recognition and AI

It’s been hard to avoid the conversation about artificial intelligence (AI) over the last five years. The improvements made in machine learning (ML) have been hugely influential and both ML and AI have proven their value to big brands and small businesses alike. That’s because of data. Now, even the smallest business in the world has access to vast volumes of data and it is far too time-consuming and prone to error for an employee to trawl through looking for patterns. ML algorithms can sift through even the largest datasets, printing reports that are far more easily digestible. “It is difficult to think of a major industry that AI will not transform. This includes healthcare, education, transportation, retail, communications, and agriculture. There are surprisingly clear paths for AI to make a big difference in all of these industries.” Andrew Ng, co-founder of Coursera, and Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at Stanford University. The healthcare sector is changing thanks to AI and ML and the business sector is making giant strides forward in its ability to understand more about its customers. In 2021, AI will be following us everywhere we go online.

The Rise of the Machine

Robots, automated vehicles and drones are also going to be major technologies in 2021. They may already be here, but as demand for self-driving vehicles grows it is expected that 2021 will see a huge rollout of self-driving, automated vehicles, and it’s not just about your family car. Delivery companies are already keeping an eye on the technology because of its potential to slash wage costs and it’s only a matter of time before human drivers will begin to be replaced by automated vehicle systems. “The Tesla electric semi could change the trucking industry the same way the iPhone changed the cell phone industry.” Dave Waters Robotics in the healthcare sector are becoming more common as well and are already being used to improve communication between patients and those that care for them. Combined with drones that are likely to become rapid delivery vehicles for medical supplies, it’s clear that the rise of the robots is here and only set to grow.

The ‘As a Service’ Sector

The development of ‘the Cloud’ has done more than just give you plenty of storage for all of your selfies. Cloud computing has also given rise to the concept of ‘as a service’. Now, companies no longer have to pay out large sums for a new type of software, when instead they can access that software via the cloud and use it as a service. SaaS (software as a service) is the most commonly used example, but transport as a service (TaaS) via Uber, AIaaS (artificial intelligence as a service), and even platforms as a service (PaaS) are all becoming much more commonly used. “The cloud services companies of all sizes…The cloud is for everyone. The cloud is a democracy.” Marc Benioff, Founder, CEO and Chairman of Salesforce Being able to access new technologies far more cheaply through the cloud means even very small businesses can access the vast range of tools and resources that would otherwise only be accessible by big brands with big budgets. This levelling of the playing field is only going to become more important in 2021, as hard-working entrepreneurs realise how little is holding them back and how much they can start to compete with even the most established names.

A New Reality

We might not be at Spielberg levels of technology when it comes to virtual reality (VR), but new advances are getting us closer than you might have realised. Both virtual reality and augmented reality (AR) are already here, but they are starting to move away from games consoles. While the advances in digital reality have been largely driven by the gaming industry, it is healthcare and education that are taking up the mantle, using AR and VR for making long-distance diagnosis in patients or to communicate more vividly with students. “There’s decades of innovations ahead. We’re at the very beginning, where it’s just at the stage where we can bring in consumers [but] there’s so much further to go from there.” Brendan Iribe, CEO Oculus Rift Just a few years ago, AR was promised to be a part of our daily lives, but the failure of Google Glass largely broke the industry. Until now. When Ikea is using AR to allow customers to see what furniture looks like in their living room and when fashion companies are using digital dressing rooms, consumers are going to be experiencing a lot more of a digital reality than they might have thought. These are the technologies that you can expect to see a lot more in 2021. For businesses and consumers alike, the end of 2021 is set to be a very different and far more digitally connected world.