Six Top
Technology Trends to Watch in 2018
Technology Trends to Watch in 2018
By Ashley Stirrup, Chief Marketing Officer, Talend
Usually, predictionsfor a new year are brimming with optimism for a future yet unfurled. But 2018
is a roaring exception, given it’s the grand finale of decisions made back in
2016. Yes, perhaps we should have seen much of this coming, but few did. Hold
onto your hats, because 2018 is almost upon us and it’s going to be a rough
ride. The good news is that we’ll likely all be better off on the other side
for having gone through these ‘data growing pains.’
So, what
lies ahead that snuck up on us from behind?
lies ahead that snuck up on us from behind?
At least one
global company will be fined millions due to GDPR non-compliance.
global company will be fined millions due to GDPR non-compliance.
In today’s
global, digital economy, companies are collecting more data than ever on their
customers. That data is becoming more diverse and complex, stemming from
different sources and in different formats. The creation and exchange of data
has also increased significantly as Bring-your-own-data (the new BYOD) and
enterprise collaboration software have grown to become a mainstay in the modern
workplace.
global, digital economy, companies are collecting more data than ever on their
customers. That data is becoming more diverse and complex, stemming from
different sources and in different formats. The creation and exchange of data
has also increased significantly as Bring-your-own-data (the new BYOD) and
enterprise collaboration software have grown to become a mainstay in the modern
workplace.
But while we
were all busy collecting that data and figuring out the best way to use it to
our company’s advantage, the countdown to EU’s General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR) effective date quickly clicks by. It’s a heavyweight data privacy law
that takes effect on May 25, 2018 and the fines for non-compliance are hefty.
Yes, 2018 is the year we all realize something huge happened in 2016 – April
14, 2016, to be exact. That was the day the GDPR was finally approved by the EU
Parliament.
were all busy collecting that data and figuring out the best way to use it to
our company’s advantage, the countdown to EU’s General Data Protection
Regulation (GDPR) effective date quickly clicks by. It’s a heavyweight data privacy law
that takes effect on May 25, 2018 and the fines for non-compliance are hefty.
Yes, 2018 is the year we all realize something huge happened in 2016 – April
14, 2016, to be exact. That was the day the GDPR was finally approved by the EU
Parliament.
Compliance
is as much a data management issue as it is a regulation and security issue.
Companies are well-advised to complete deployments on all three fronts asap.
Even so, one or more giant companies will stumble big this year and get hit
with mega-million-dollar fines.
is as much a data management issue as it is a regulation and security issue.
Companies are well-advised to complete deployments on all three fronts asap.
Even so, one or more giant companies will stumble big this year and get hit
with mega-million-dollar fines.
In 2018, ethical lines will be drawn detailing data morality (a.k.a. data
virtue).
virtue).
Data privacy
grows up next year and becomes a much bigger and more pressing issue around the
world. Consumers are giving companies more information than they’re even aware
of with every purchase and search. In 2018, data and the ‘morality/virtue’ of
using that data will come to a crossroads. Organizations collect mass amounts of
information on their customers, and while the EU is aggressively moving forward
with privacy regulations like GDPR, there is still ‘a lot of grey area’ when it
comes to the ethical implications of third parties gaining this amount of
information on its clients.
grows up next year and becomes a much bigger and more pressing issue around the
world. Consumers are giving companies more information than they’re even aware
of with every purchase and search. In 2018, data and the ‘morality/virtue’ of
using that data will come to a crossroads. Organizations collect mass amounts of
information on their customers, and while the EU is aggressively moving forward
with privacy regulations like GDPR, there is still ‘a lot of grey area’ when it
comes to the ethical implications of third parties gaining this amount of
information on its clients.
GDPR has
already demonstrated that the government can regulate companies’ possession of
data, but can they also put strongholds on how they use that data? Regulators
and companies alike will be grappling with this question. Legally defining a
line between helpful and hurtful use of consumer data will become the quest of
the year.
already demonstrated that the government can regulate companies’ possession of
data, but can they also put strongholds on how they use that data? Regulators
and companies alike will be grappling with this question. Legally defining a
line between helpful and hurtful use of consumer data will become the quest of
the year.
Most
companies will seek to address these issues proactively, rather than be
subjected to perhaps excessive and even contradicting regulations among the
various governments around the world. As a result, expect data morality to
become a hot topic.
companies will seek to address these issues proactively, rather than be
subjected to perhaps excessive and even contradicting regulations among the
various governments around the world. As a result, expect data morality to
become a hot topic.
Machine
Learning (ML) explodes and then backlashes.
Learning (ML) explodes and then backlashes.
2017 saw AI
hype explode, with companies like Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft and more
pledging embedded AI in everything. However, intelligence is only as good as
its data. While 2018 will usher in organizations refining their AI, machine
learning and deep learning algorithms to leverage company and third-party data
for the improvement of the broader customer experience, only three percent will
be working with reasonably accurate data. Unless companies get a handle on
their data to ensure 100 percent accuracy, ML and AI algorithms could be
learning from flawed data, resulting in inaccurate analytics and erroneous
prediction, leading to poor business decisions. That in turn will fuel a
consumer backlash against companies and their machines, as anger over incorrect
outcomes and inappropriate results, in addition to lost jobs and wages
resulting from general automation.
hype explode, with companies like Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft and more
pledging embedded AI in everything. However, intelligence is only as good as
its data. While 2018 will usher in organizations refining their AI, machine
learning and deep learning algorithms to leverage company and third-party data
for the improvement of the broader customer experience, only three percent will
be working with reasonably accurate data. Unless companies get a handle on
their data to ensure 100 percent accuracy, ML and AI algorithms could be
learning from flawed data, resulting in inaccurate analytics and erroneous
prediction, leading to poor business decisions. That in turn will fuel a
consumer backlash against companies and their machines, as anger over incorrect
outcomes and inappropriate results, in addition to lost jobs and wages
resulting from general automation.
Companies
will be busted for promotional fake news.
will be busted for promotional fake news.
By now we’ve
all heard of Fake News as it is applied to news outlets, but this next wave is
a bit different. This is fake information distributed to promote goods and
services beyond what they actually deliver, in an effort to increase sales.
It’s marketing gone bad. This is not a new or emerging trend as it has been
around for a while, but 2018 will be the year companies finally get punished
for the practice. Expect brand loyalties to plummet and consumer suspicions to
escalate. Tech companies will undergo serious financial penalties for not
removing fake news or banned content. It will be imperative for companies to
implement a data strategy for maintaining credibility among the public and the
companies leveraging their sites.
all heard of Fake News as it is applied to news outlets, but this next wave is
a bit different. This is fake information distributed to promote goods and
services beyond what they actually deliver, in an effort to increase sales.
It’s marketing gone bad. This is not a new or emerging trend as it has been
around for a while, but 2018 will be the year companies finally get punished
for the practice. Expect brand loyalties to plummet and consumer suspicions to
escalate. Tech companies will undergo serious financial penalties for not
removing fake news or banned content. It will be imperative for companies to
implement a data strategy for maintaining credibility among the public and the
companies leveraging their sites.
Social media
data companies will be increasingly regulated.
data companies will be increasingly regulated.
Social
platforms are now viewed as the “new media” and therefore have a social
responsibility to manage their public output. First regulators will try to
combat nation-state election manipulation and other fraudulent and fake news by
imposing the same regulation on social media as is currently applied to news
media. But that will be replaced with laws that require responsibility and
accountability for clean and accurate data from all social platforms. The more
data these platforms have, the harder it is for them to discern what’s real and
what’s fake. In 2018, it will be imperative for social media companies to
implement a data strategy to maintain credibility among the public and the
companies leveraging their sites.
platforms are now viewed as the “new media” and therefore have a social
responsibility to manage their public output. First regulators will try to
combat nation-state election manipulation and other fraudulent and fake news by
imposing the same regulation on social media as is currently applied to news
media. But that will be replaced with laws that require responsibility and
accountability for clean and accurate data from all social platforms. The more
data these platforms have, the harder it is for them to discern what’s real and
what’s fake. In 2018, it will be imperative for social media companies to
implement a data strategy to maintain credibility among the public and the
companies leveraging their sites.
Companies
will need an audio/visual data strategy to survive in 2018 and beyond.
will need an audio/visual data strategy to survive in 2018 and beyond.
Gartner
predicted that “by 2021, early adopter brands that redesign their websites to
support visual and voice search will increase digital commerce revenue by 30
percent.” As such, organizations will need to develop strategies to collect,
cleanse and analyze audio/visual data. There will no longer be a distinction
between structured and unstructured data. Companies will have to be able to ingest
all types of data, no matter file format, clean it, qualify it and use it
responsibly.
predicted that “by 2021, early adopter brands that redesign their websites to
support visual and voice search will increase digital commerce revenue by 30
percent.” As such, organizations will need to develop strategies to collect,
cleanse and analyze audio/visual data. There will no longer be a distinction
between structured and unstructured data. Companies will have to be able to ingest
all types of data, no matter file format, clean it, qualify it and use it
responsibly.
If you
detected a theme of data responsibility and accountability in these 2018
predictions, you’re right! Along with this push in all things data related,
there will also be an upsurge in new data veracity products and services that
incorporate entire communities and/or data supply chains. However, as 2018
unfolds, the odds are good that everyone will be better off – organizations and
consumers alike – for finally having established data privacy and morality
standards that will keep us all honest and accountable.
detected a theme of data responsibility and accountability in these 2018
predictions, you’re right! Along with this push in all things data related,
there will also be an upsurge in new data veracity products and services that
incorporate entire communities and/or data supply chains. However, as 2018
unfolds, the odds are good that everyone will be better off – organizations and
consumers alike – for finally having established data privacy and morality
standards that will keep us all honest and accountable.
For the LATEST tech updates,
FOLLOW us on our Twitter
LIKE us on our FaceBook
SUBSCRIBE to us on our YouTube Channel!
