Some tech trends fizzle out while others seem to make a huge impact on the world. Here are the top tech trends that are expected to define 2018:
The new age fintech
We saw bitcoin and blockchain making headlines in 2017 and mobile payments changing the fundamentals of financial markets. With this you can expect to see more bio metrics in 2018 like facial recognition, voice ID and fingerprints that will not only make shopping easier but also eliminate the need for credit card payments at checkout. You can simply verify your identity through retina scan with your smartphone called as retinal payments.
With cryptocurrencies becoming more popular and reaching the $300 billion mark, you could also expect some retailers to issue their own currency next year. There is anticipation that banks will derive more than $1 billion annually from blockchain based cryptocurrencies.
Augmented reality to go mainstream
Augmented reality (AR) will give customers real life in-store experiences with mannequins that will match their body type and help them shop. Shopping experiences will be made more interactive for customers and products like car accessories will be easier to purchase with live demonstration through mobile devices. A car salesperson will be able to change the color, model with just a touch and show customized features of the car sitting on his chair.
Combining real with virtual objects will enhance all out-of house activities. Sports stadiums will witness personalized HUDs of players on the field.
Imagine watching a live football game in the stadium and seeing personalized stats floating above the fantasy sports players you follow. When watching sports from home, AR has the potential to bring the excitement of life-size boxing matches into your living room. The real promise of AR is to bring people the information they need without having to ask for it.
Apart from this, sales meetings will be a lot easier without the use of laptops, TV, computers and paper. Augmented reality will be capable of presenting a sales pitch on the table in the coming year.
For many, 2018 will be the start of living an augmented life.
More bots in 2018
We all have had experience speaking to a bot while paying bills over a phone call or booking a ticket over a call. They will be seen expanding from service agent bots to daily routine bots.
Home bots will be seen doing more than just playing music or booking a cab for you. You can expect a Home bot to intimate you when you exceed your credit card limit or when is your next payment due. Bots will help with financial planning which will open up more opportunities for businesses who will be seen spending time, money and resources in creating bots in 2018 in order to better serve their customers.
Forget how fantastical artificial intelligence sounds. For martech professionals, the true value of AI is not about robots and self-flying drones, it’s about data and information. Using AI and machine learning, CMOs need to harness the vast amounts of data being created every day on social, the web, and everything in between, to create clearer, more accurate profiles of their customers. When do they shop? When do they abandon their shopping carts? Which aisles do they hit first when they visit brick-and-mortar locations? AI and machine learning can help you process—and trend—that information so that you can make smarter and more informed marketing decisions for your company. AI can also help you extract the most relevant data from your campaigns to decide what paid off—and how—so that you can easily replicate those campaigns for maximum results. (Not a data-backed decision person? You won’t last long in martech in 2018.)
Internet of Things will become smarter in 2018
It has already been predicted that there will be 75 billion connected devices by 2020 and they will not only be connected but be a part of a more intelligent system providing insights, gathering data, connecting the world in a much more streamlined way. As AI seems to grow, you can expect more collaboration and interactions in the environment around you.
Internet of Things, one of the most disruptive innovations relies on mobile devices to connect with billions of users. It involves adding smart sensors to connect devices so that users can turn off the light or place an order.
In 2018, we will see blockchain as a part of IoT devices making it more useful by reducing the risk of hacking. Combining the two can give rise to a whole host of new services like tracking shipments without being hacked.
Conclusion
It’s difficult to comment on how fast these trends will manifest or the type of devices will adapt to their development. But, 2018 will see a lot of exposure on the development front. This year will be heavily dominated by technology.
