Technology is evolving faster than the speed of light. Well, not quite, but you get the picture. Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, OpenStack, progressive web apps – they are all set to make an impact this year. You might be accustomed to navigating your forex trading platform or building a website in WordPress, but how familiar are you with the following?
Artificial Intelligence
Thirty years ago, machine learning and AI were the stuff of science fiction. The notion that AI would one day be in your homes was a little frightening given that Terminator was in the cinema. Today, machine learning and Artificial Intelligence are evolving fast. Chatbots take care of front-line customer service and driverless cars are in production. Indeed, Andrew Ng from Baidu predicts that driverless cars will available from 2020 and in full production by 2021, so this is one area that is sure to expand in 2018.
Blockchain Technology
Bitcoin has hit the headlines numerous times in the last twelve months. After reaching the heady heights of a snip under $20,000 in December 2017, bitcoin has since taken a dramatic tumble. The cryptocurrency lost $67 billion in one week at the beginning of February, after major banks announced they were banning the use of credit cards to buy bitcoin. Other cryptocurrencies have followed suit, but the underlying blockchain technology is sound and analysts believe it will grow and prosper in 2018.
OpenStack
OpenStack is the future. This is an operating system that runs in the cloud and it has a lot of advantages. For starters, it offers a flexible ecosystem at low cost and it can easily support mission-critical applications. But, there are some challenges to be faced, most notably, OpenStack’s dependency on servers, virtualisation, and its complex structure. Nevertheless, OpenStack has the backing of several major software companies and acceptance rates are expected to soar in 2018.
Progressive Web Apps
Progressive web apps are the perfect combination of a website and an app. Progressive web apps don’t need to be downloaded, but they offer a better UX when compared to viewing a website. Progressive web apps update information in real time and they run in HTTPS. They are fast and responsive, and in today’s high-octane world where users demand convenience, this is essential.
The Internet of Things
The Internet of Things allows the interconnection of everyday devices. It isn’t a new concept, but the reach of the IoT looks set to grow in 2018. Autonomous Decentralized Peer-to-Peer Telemetry is a major part of evolving IoT technology. It uses the principles of blockchain technology to deliver a de-centralised network that allows devices and “things” to communicate without a central command centre. It could prove to be a major evolution in the world of tech.
Other technology trends worthy of a mention include the latest generation of programming languages. Rust is an exciting alternative to Python and C, so programmers predict Rust will become a viable choice in 2018. R is another up-and-coming opensource programming language. This is also one to watch in 2018.
