My Top Predictions for 2019: The Year of the Data-Driven Digital Ecosystem

By Mohammed Amin


Mohammed Amin Senior Vice President, Middle East, Turkey and Africa, Dell EMC
It’s that time of year again – another exciting year has passed and there’s a lot to reflect on as we close out 2018 and look ahead to the exciting possibilities for 2019. While there were some bold predictions made last year, there’s still much to be done in the way of advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning technologies to improve the lives of people around the world.

Let’s kick things off boldly. In 2019, I foresee that AR and VR will become increasingly commonplace. This is largely courtesy of Gen Z (born after 1995) who will be entering the workplace. Having grown up using technology in every facet of their lives, not only will Gen Z spark a new evolution in technological innovation, but they will also stimulate more opportunities for technological literacy amongst their peers. This will undoubtedly boost the expansion of emerging technologies like AR and VR while simultaneously closing the skills gaps across in the new multi-generational workforce.

 

However, Gen Z is not the only major change coming our way next year – as we enter the data-driven digital ecosystem, here are my top 4 technology predictions for 2019:

  1. Immersive Technology

With this next decade of innovation, I am convinced that we will become more immersed in smart living, intelligent work, and a frictionless economy. We’ll see machine intelligence merge with augmented and virtual reality in the home and the office to create truly immersive experiences.

The PCs and devices that we use every day will continue to learn from our habits and intuitively boot up with the right apps and services. Advances in natural language processing and voice technologies will create a more productive dialogue with machines, while automation and robotics will create faster, more fluid collaboration with technology to get even more work done.

  1. The 5G City

The more connected things we have, the more (much more!) data we generate. With the first 5G devices pegged to launch next year, this hugely anticipated network promises to completely change the data game in terms of speed and accessibility, but all this newly generated data needs to be stored somewhere. I imagine that not before long we will have micro-hubs lining our streets – mini datacenters if you will – that will give rise to new “smart” opportunities for real-time insights happening right in your neighborhood. Cities and towns will become more connected than ever, paving the way for smart cities and digital infrastructure that we predict will be thriving in less than a decade’s time.

  1. The Data Gold Rush

Organizations have been stockpiling big data for years. In fact, it’s forecasted that by 2020, the data volume will reach 44 Trillion gigabytes, that’s quite a lot but thankfully this data is about to be put it to work! As Digital Transformation takes shape, we are able to extract greater value from large data sets. This added value is expediting innovation, thus attracting more funding and investments in tech startups. I think 2019 is going to be the year that these tech investments come to fruition and find their niche in making AI a reality through secure data storage, management, and compliance.

  1. The Cloud Forecast

Last year we predicted the arrival of the Mega Cloud – a variety of clouds that make up a powerhouse operating model as IT strategies require both public and private clouds.  So far that’s holding true. But the sentiment for 2019 is that multi-cloud environments will become de rigueur du jour. The opportunity (and need) for organizations to store data at the edge, in the core, and everywhere in between will be essential in their quest to drive automation and enhance AI and ML processing.

One final thought

For the last decade, we have been talking about digital transformation, organizations that want to get ahead in 2019 can no longer treat digital as a separate thing—it’s got to be the only thing. Therefore, I believe that we should always be looking at digital transformation in the context of business transformation. The good news is that we have the knowledge and expertise at digitally driven business transformation, so get in touch with us and let’s win together!

Happy New Year.

Mohammed Amin

@mamin624 

About the Author: Dell Technologies