7 Information Technology Trends For You To Consider in 2014

Technology is an always evolving process and in this ever changing circle, what is hailed as “cutting edge— today always ends up as tomorrow’s feather duster—forgotten invention”. This is one of the important reasons why every tech firm or IT professional must take his or her personal development seriously in order to avoid becoming irrelevant.

The example of Nokia’s rise in the 90’s to the early 2000’s and its fall—which led to its sale—in 2013 can definitely serve as an eye-opener to business operating the tech community. So keeping up with the latest trends that drive customer consumption should not be under-estimated, and here are a few of our predicted information technology trends for 2014.

1. Smart Devices Meet Cloud Computing: 2013 saw an explosion in the way smart devices where designed to meet the customer’s peculiarities and tech firms like Apple, Sony and Samsung struggled to outdo one another with features unique to their platforms. Operating systems such as iOS and Android also raised the bar with intuitive interfaces geared towards a user’s sensibilities. But in 2014, we should expect more cloud functions on mobile devices that will provide unlimited resources to users such as intuitive data synchronization, ease of data integration among mobile apps and PCs, as well as richer user experiences.
2. The 3D Printing Revolution Will be Televised: additive manufacturing which was also big in 2013, will open new dimensions as more domestic 3D printers are made available to 3D printing enthusiasts. The recent revolutionary strides that occurred in 2013 which included the printing of; a functioning gun, a robotic arm, and a fully functional humanoids, are indications of what 2014 holds for us.
3. Education Meets Technology and Cloud Computing: Learning management systems are set to make e-learning and online training more attractive to both educators and students who already participate in e-learning. Also the advent of Google Play for Education—a web based store for educational apps and materials—will certainly make Google lots of money as well as champion the integration of smart devices as learning tools in today’s classrooms. Learning Management Systems are also set to use cloud based infrastructure to create learning materials, give assignments and also grade them virtually.
4. Juxtaposing Privacy and Identity: if you have watched a television or read newspapers in the past few months, you definitely must have come across the showdown between Snowden and the US government regarding individual privacy. Therefore board members of social media networks, E-mail platforms and cloud based storage facilities will have to review their privacy terms and conditions, while individuals will definitely be more cautious of their online identity and actions.
5. Defining Google Glass: since the inception of Google glass into the tech community, its uses have still not been adequately defined by its developers. There have been some hints of its use in architecture, education and socializing but with little or no concrete facts. So expect 2014 to be a defining year for Google glass and other intuitive glass designing organization.
6. The Acceptance of Wearables: wearable smart devices such as Samsung’s Galaxy Gear, Apples alleged “iWatch” and Pebble will definitely carve their own niche as more and more developers focus on building apps for these devices. Wearables are also set to change advertising as commercial organizations begin to take note of the opportunities they present.
7. Businesses Will Invest More in Agile IT Services: as the world continues to adopt online commerce as a way of life, more physical businesses will seek to take their businesses online in order to appeal to a larger potential customer base. And to do this, these businesses will have to lean on managed IT services, data management, cloud computing and search engine optimization to drive sales and awareness campaigns.