Top tech trends for 2016

by Mervi Emilia 

It’s that time of year again. Tech experts are in a flurry of excitement as they set about predicting what technology has in store for us in the coming year. Whether it’s conferences like the Gartner Symposium or presentations at the Wall Street Journal, the tech industry’s finest have been enlightening us on new movements in the sector. So, let’s take a look at their predictions for 2016. 

Smartphones become the default

According to the Hiscox Tech Track infographic, 2015 data has shown that the smartphone has become the most popular means of surfing the web. The rise of the smartphone will come as no surprise to those in tech industry. Mobile has been on the rise for some years now. However, publishers and brands will have to move quickly now that it’s become more popular than the PC. Those who haven’t optimised their websites – not just in terms of mobile-friendly design but also for concise, mobile-worthy content, will need to step up their game.

by Jason A. Howie 

Messaging overtakes social media

Michael Wolf has shared a huge deck of information-rich slides with Business Insider UK, which he presented recently at the Wall Street Journal. In it, he predicts that messaging services are due to overtake the amount of time we spend on social media. Messaging has been the fastest-growing online behaviour over the past five years, with applications such as WhatsApp and WeChat rising steadily above sites like Pinterest and Instagram in terms of usage. It’s predicted that messaging will add 1.1 billion new users by 2018. The reason for this? Messaging apps are a lot cheaper than sending an SMS, being either free or flat-fee.

Device mesh

One of the trends laid out in last month’s Gartner Symposium in Cape Town was the idea of “device mesh” where the devices we use every day are increasingly embedded with sensors that adapt and change throughout the day. For example, the device you use to track your morning bike ride, your smart office systems or the technology you have in your home. In the future, those devices are likely to work in tandem, sharing information with each other to make our lives easier and more productive.

by r2hox 

More women in tech

Hiscox has found that in 2015, 10% of the companies on the Tech Track 100 are either run, co-founded or more than 20% owned by women. This may seem a small minority to outsiders, but it represent a significant shift away from a predominantly male-dominated sector. As more and more doors open to women in tech, this could be a key game changer for 2016.

A tide of data

Now more than ever, we are generating huge amounts of data from the technology we use every day. That flood of data is only going to increase further as we develop newer technologies. Experts are predicting that this data is going to cause a headache unless we quickly learn what data is and isn’t useful to us. For example, the average car can already produce 10TB of data in a given period, yet we can only capture and use about 25GB of that data. Now more than ever, we need to be sure which data is going to be worth keeping.

Making new materials

3D printing has become exciting in a new and game changing way – its ability to produce certain materials. Biological materials in particular are making new surgical procedures possible, bringing new innovations to the medical world in the areas of bone, skin and organ transplants. But that’s not all. 3D printing opens up new possibilities in food manufacturing and even in carbon-fibre infused plastics. Organisations such as Tesla have been able to build engine parts that until now they could only have dreamed of.

So, what technology trends are you excited about for 2016? Leave a comment below.