Technology Trends: Seven Technology Entrepreneurship Trends to Watch in 2017

These implementations will be presented in the form of a new class of smart applications and smart objects, and provide embedded intelligence for a wide variety of grid devices and existing software and service solutions.

According to Business Insider, Gartner and TechEmergence research shows that by 2020, more than 85% of customer interactions will be done entirely through chat bots, and in the next five years, chat bots will become AI's number one consumer application.

Next year, 30% of global 2000-to-consumer companies will try AR and VR in their marketing plans. IDC pointed out: "The interface is the necessary way to interact with customers. The development speed of the interface is much faster than many people expected. IDC expects that by 2021, AR/VR will be adopted on a large scale, and the world is often accessed through the AR/VR platform. There will be more than 1 billion users of applications, content and data.

In order to write this article, we interviewed some very insightful people. They say that artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will be a major boost in the development of the technology economy in 2017.

When it comes to entrepreneurial trends that are worthy of attention in 2017, the vast majority of respondents point to AI. Anthony Glomski, head of financial consulting firm AG Asset Advisory, said that next year and beyond, AI will help companies "subvert industries that have not been completely subverted. Although AI is still in its infancy, it has already Have huge potential impact."

The following are the eight major entrepreneurial categories and trends predicted by experts.

1. AI and machine learning

Ludo Ulrich, head of startup relationship at Salesforce, a cloud-based customer relationship management software provider, said that in 2016, big companies have invested in resources, hoping to use AI to make technology smarter and make predictions more accurate. At the same time, technological advances have given small companies the opportunity to participate in the AI ​​revolution, and universities have begun to teach AI courses. Ulrich said that these changes are "making a bigger AI talent pool" and will help to incubate innovation in 2017 at a faster rate.

“Now, people have truly realized the importance and influence of AI, and they are more accessible to AI than ever before. Therefore, in 2017, AI, which was once only in the hands of a few people, will gradually penetrate the entire technology map. So that young startups can make real innovations in the field," Ulrich said.

He said that there were few companies with data scientists and machine learning resources, but now both have become "basic requirements."

At the 2016 Symposium/ITxpo conference, market research firm Gartner listed AI and machine learning as the top ten strategic technology trends for 2017. “Application AI and advanced machine learning have spawned a range of intelligent implementations, including physical devices (robots, autonomous vehicles, consumer electronics) and applications and services (virtual personal assistants, smart consultants).” Gartner Vice President and Senior Researcher David Cearley said, "These implementations will be presented in the form of a new class of smart applications and smart objects, and will provide embedded solutions for a wide variety of grid devices and existing software and service solutions. intelligent."

Many companies are exploring AI technology, and Wells Fargo is one of them. Braden More, head of payment strategy at the bank and financial services company, said: "We are studying how to use AI technology to enable customers to complete banking transactions on social media. We are also researching AI virtual assistants, It can proactively help customers through notifications, reminders, and contextual recommendations.” Moore said that AI can also be used to detect bank fraud.

In 2017, AI is also expected to show its talents in the field of network security. One reason is that cyber security talent is in short supply. Cisco estimates that the global network security talent gap is 1 million. Symantec reports that by 2019, the number of cybersecurity jobs will grow to 6 million.

"The reality is that cybersecurity knowledge needs to be automated in some way," said John Shearer, co-founder and CEO of network security analysis and automation solutions provider DarkLight. "The market that combines human knowledge with AI." Demand is huge, and startups that cater to this need will emerge. The AI ​​system trained by human experts and the human experts trained in AI systems will be the focus of startups."

Big data (and the massive amount of data currently accumulated around the world) is another force driving the rise of AI. The world produces 2.5 exabytes of data per day. According to IBM estimates, 90% of the data currently accumulated in the world has been generated in the past two years. Steve Goodman, a partner at venture capital firm Toba Capital, says companies need AI to understand customer behavior patterns, automate them to increase efficiency, and help employees do their jobs better.

2. Chatbot

A chat bot is an automated service that interacts with humans and provides information to humans (especially consumers) through a chat interface. AI is one of the technologies that help chatbots become a mainstream application. “Thanks to AI, chatbots have become a reality in 2016. As 2017 approaches, we believe this trend will lead to more innovation, especially at the enterprise level.” Asu, the general partner of Silicon Valley venture capital firm FoundaTIon Capital Ashu Garg said.

Companies will increasingly use chat bots to replace customer service, insurance and financial services personnel, thereby reducing labor costs. "The time to subvert these areas is ripe." Gag said, "The chat bot will become 'hot' because it can bring huge benefits."

According to Business Insider, Gartner and TechEmergence research shows that by 2020, more than 85% of customer interactions will be done entirely through chat bots, and in the next five years, chat bots will become AI's number one consumer application.

Gagar said: "In 2017, a large number of communication platforms are expected to integrate chat bots. Although Facebook is still the largest communication platform, WhatsApp, Kik, WeChat and other important communication platforms around the world will accelerate the innovation of chat bots. Promoting healthy competition. With the rise of chat bots and the continuous development of AI technology, we will begin to see the increasing integration of chat bots and enterprise back-end systems, thus changing the way people interact with businesses."

3. Network security

In 2016, cybersecurity was a frequent visitor to news reports, in part because Apple and the FBI had disputes over iOS encryption issues, and some companies were attacked by ransomware. Many experts predict that in 2017, such incidents will intensify in the field of cybersecurity.

In 2016, whenever there is a new attack path or vulnerability exposure, “there will be a network security company appearing to fill this gap,” said Nate Locke, a partner at investment management firm Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors. "In the past, companies that wanted to strengthen their security protection often invested in software and other facilities. Now, we expect companies to start investing in terminal solutions, increase investment in management services, and help them make better use of them. Existing facilities."

Security is complex and difficult to manage. Locke said: "While investing heavily in security products, many companies have not gained enough value from these technologies. In 2017 and beyond, security management service providers will play an increasingly important role in helping companies reduce security risks. Character."

4. Digital transformation and cloud technology

Research by IDC, a market research firm, shows that in 2017 and beyond, companies will undergo a “large-scale” digital transformation, and the “third platform” of cloud technology, mobile technology, big data and analytics and social technology will make this possible.

“We are at the turning point in the digital transformation from 'projects' or 'initiatives' to the necessary strategies for the business,” said Frank Gens, senior vice president and chief analyst at IDC. “Every (growth) company No matter how long it is and which industry it is in, the way its executives and employees think, the products they produce, and the way they operate must be characterized by 'digital aborigines'. At the same time, the adoption of third platform technology and digital transformation will occur faster. As most people expect, early competitive advantage will belong to those companies that follow the DX (digital transformation) economic pace."

IDC believes that cloud technology will be the primary driving force for digital transformation. The company expects that by 2020, 67% of corporate IT facilities and software spending will be related to cloud technology. During the transition period, almost all enterprises will become cloud service providers that provide services to their markets, making cloud capabilities a concern for IT departments and a core business operation.

5. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)

After Pokémon Go became popular around the world, AR caught the attention of many people. In 2017 and beyond, AR's compatriot VR will be promising for companies.

IDC expects that 30% of global 2000-to-consumer companies will try AR and VR in their marketing plans next year. IDC pointed out: "The interface is the necessary way to interact with customers. The development speed of the interface is much faster than many people expected. IDC expects that by 2021, AR/VR will be adopted on a large scale, and the world is often accessed through the AR/VR platform. There will be more than one billion users of applications, content and data."

But VR will not just be an entertaining technology. Zach Holmquist, co-founder and CEO of cloud workplace management service provider Teem, predicts: "In 2017, VR will be used by more startups to strengthen formal and remote temporary workers. Collaboration. VR will be used to adapt to changes in the definition of 'employee', including both formal and remote temporary workers. The odds economy will continue to grow, forcing companies to use all available resources to adapt to this emerging employee category, while VR Technology will help them achieve this goal."

6. Innovative wearable devices

Snapchat's parent company, Snap, has launched Spectacles smart glasses that can capture and share videos for up to 10 seconds per video. The success of this pair of glasses can be said to have injected new vitality into the field of wearable devices. Gregory Kennedy, co-founder and president of the exhibition contractor Uncharted Minds, said: "Spectacles is fun, unconventional, and affordable, while at the same time achieving the best combination of product features and pricing. In a wave of wearable devices, all other companies have failed to do this."

7. Intelligent objects

“Smart Objects” is in the intersection of AI and the Internet of Things and was listed by Gartner as one of the top ten strategic technology trends in 2017. Gartner points out that smart objects "beyond the rigid programming model", using AI and machine learning "to achieve advanced behavior and more natural interaction with the surrounding environment and humans. With drones, driverless cars and intelligence With the increasing popularity of smart objects such as home appliances, Gartner expects that the smart objects of their respective battles will be transformed into a collaborative intelligent object model.