A Look at Gartner’s 10 Strategic Tech Trends for 2019

Gartner is a top go-to for what’s new and trending in the world of technology. This fall, they released their top 10 strategic technology trends for 2019, with some familiar topics and some making an appearance for the first time.

Now, we’re most excited to explore those that are data-driven trends — because real disruption and change begins with smarter collection and use of data. Our customers want to be on the cusp of innovation, and they’re doing it with data-based projects. So let’s explore the particularly data-driven parts of Gartner’s 2019 report.

Augmented analytics

There has never been more data in the world than there is right now — and of course, tomorrow the volume will increase, and so on. The point is that data scientists have all they need to analyze and discern valuable insights and patterns right now. However, given the sheer volume of data available to us now, companies could be missing opportunities due to bandwidth.

Augmented analytics changes all this, giving data scientists new tools to succeed — and faster. With automated algorithms, more possibilities are available to study. Gartner predicts that by 2020, more than 40% of data science tasks will be automated.

With automation and machine learning, personal bias is also eliminated. By combining the power of augmented analytics with talented data scientists, this type of information will be far more accessible, enabling companies to make smarter predictions. And these predictions can be about something as simple (but as vital) as shopper preferences to something as sophisticated as earthquakes. We’ve done the latter type of work with NASA on predictive analytics.

AI-driven development

How will AI be built into future applications? Gartner has found that AI-driven development will progress across three areas:

• AI-powered tool expansion for the developer community to use, limiting the need for data scientists.

• AI-driven capability tools that allow for augmented analytics as well as automated testing, code generation, and solution development.

• AI tools will move from automation to enhancing business domain expertise.

With this in mind, companies seeking to develop AI projects won’t be on the hook for data scientists and developers. This shift will allow developers to operate independently with better AI-enabled tools.

Quantum computing

In quantum computing, data is represented as quantum bits or “qubits.” It is a scalable practice and works differently than other types of computing because it’s completing functions simultaneously instead of in a linear fashion. This difference is a big deal for many industries where it could be the catalyst for transformation.

While it’s still in its infancy with many businesses just starting to explore its possibilities, quantum computing is likely to be more mainstream by 2022. In fact, Topcoder is working toward a quantum computing challenge as speak…

Autonomous things

Autonomy is becoming the norm for many businesses, as they use IoT devices to collect data and optimize operations. The demand for this will only grow, with collaborative autonomous things driving the future of data collection and the augmentation of processes to find the best one.

Autonomous things can learn, collect, and provide some analysis, but they won’t negate the human brain. Rather these things will provide humans with much more context and data so that they can then make the most informed decisions.

Digital twins

A digital twin is simply a digital representation of a real object, process, or system. Digital twins aren’t a new practice but one that has been significantly revamped. The new trend is more about digital twins in IoT. This is what will drive better decision making, as digital twins deliver data on a machine or product — like a need for maintenance, the ability to be reliable, and how it could perform more efficiently. Organizations will have the power to monitor things in real time, so they can make quick adjustments.

Bring your business into 2019

In 2019, more and more companies are looking for data-driven tools and processes that can help them overcome obstacles, optimize processes, and target new markets. If you’re looking to get more out of your data in the next year, look no further than our cognitive solutions, such as smart chatbots. It’s easy to get started on your next data-driven initiative with the world’s largest talent network.