Metaverse, digital twins or quantum computing are some of the main technologies that will sound the most in the next year.
The way of doing business has evolved in recent years with the adoption of new technological solutions that help companies face global instability and challenges caused by the pandemic, inflation, geopolitical turmoil or supply chain problems.
In this context, Plain Concepts, the technological multinational and specialist in the development of innovation projects, points out the 10 technology trends that will mark the transformation of businesses in 2024 and allow companies to achieve competitive advantages.
Digital twins
Digital twins or digital twins have been positioning themselves as one of the main technology trends of the moment for several years, especially if we talk about the industrial sector. These digital replicas of objects, spaces, physical systems or processes make it possible to obtain more precise products, lower costs or predict possible errors. They also open up a world of possibilities when it comes to checking and simulating, for example, whether the behavior of an industrial plant is appropriate.
Physical entities can be digitized from point clouds, segment and label information, create and optimize supply chains, automate processes and equipment using other technologies such as AI, improve security, optimize quality control and predictive maintenance, etc.
This technology allows us to change the components we want in the digital world until they are optimized and get their best version in the real world. It will completely change the way to improve business processes, improve their efficiency and exponentially save costs in sectors such as construction, aeronautics, healthcare or education, among others.
Blockchain to redesign trust
Until now, online payment processes involving two parties have been done through an intermediary that verified the data through a centralized system, which could lead to many problems. However, with the arrival of blockchain technology and its decentralized model, the final control of an organization is eliminated and the data is stored in an encrypted and much more secure way.
Decentralization creates new ways of transacting, communicating and doing business, as well as facilitating automation, which is going to translate into a huge boost when it comes to digital property.
Gartner predicts that in 2025 the commercial value added by this technology will grow to more than 176,000 million dollars, which is why it has gone from being an exclusive technology for the financial sector or more related to cryptocurrencies, to beginning to be implemented in numerous sectors.
The blockchain is creating new business ideas and allows speeding up the process of verifying operations, preventing fraud and cyberattacks, as well as being highly efficient, reliable and secure. For this reason it will be so important when doing business in the coming years, to improve data tracking, create new billing systems, host patents, follow sales processes, protect medical data, etc.
IoT for a hyperconnected world
We are witnessing a moment in which IoT sensors and networks of connected devices have become a fundamental point to create digital twins, build the metaverse, improve the operation of intelligent machines or design the cities of the future.
There are more and more smart devices in our personal and work life, but until now we found some problems in communication, due to different platforms or operating systems. Therefore, 2024 will be the year to develop global standards and protocols, in order to communicate more effectively.
IoT technology collects and interprets the data collected by industrial machines to subsequently provide information about the process, in order to improve efficiency, save production costs, detect new business opportunities and consumer trends or promote innovation. of the products.
And we are only in the early stages of what can be achieved, as forecasts suggest that by 2024 some 50 million IoT devices will be in use. Thus, it will be possible to create a massive network of interconnected devices that provide greater security, efficiency and decision-making for companies, as more data is collected and analyzed.
AI and security
Closely linked to IoT devices, Plain Concepts believes that one of the big trends for 2024 will be to secure the data that is exchanged between smart networks. Improving the security capabilities of these devices is going to be a priority for companies, and artificial intelligence will be essential in this task.
The rise of 5G not only means that communication is faster, but also that more devices can be connected. AI and machine learning bring a more proactive approach to security solutions and allow rapid automation of decision-making processes, as well as creating patterns from incomplete or changed data.
Algorithms learn from real threat data, enabling faster threat detection, minimal margin of error, predicting potential threats, and helping cybersecurity experts build more robust protocols.
Quantum computing
Quantum computing is one of the trends that has been gaining the most popularity in recent months, and it is going to mean a before and after in practically all facets of our lives.
It is a form of computing that takes advantage of quantum phenomena such as superposition and entanglement. Its applications range from preventing the spread of diseases such as the coronavirus to the development of new vaccines, including risk management and fraud in the financial sector.
The great differential factor of this trend is that quantum computers are much faster than normal computers; For this reason, large companies such as Microsoft, AWS or Google put great efforts into innovation in this field. In fact, its global market revenue is predicted to exceed $2.5 billion by 2029.
Metaverse
The metaverse is a recurring theme in any conversation about the future of the tech industry. Its economic prospects are enormous: it is expected that by the middle of this decade it will reach 800,000 million dollars and that in 2030 the figure will reach 2 and a half trillion. Regardless of the problems that Meta is having to shape its plans, the metaverse in its original conception can provide great opportunities for companies in terms of increasing their social presence, remote work, payments, healthcare, product sales, etc. etc.
Although there is still a long way to go to see this digital universe, Plain Concepts believes that the industrial metaverse is one of the great hopes of the sector and for the so-called Industry 5.0. In addition, there are already many companies that are using this environment to improve their products, give another brand image or connect with their consumers. Its applications are numerous, and range from the capture and digitalization of the real world, to the understanding and enrichment of data in virtual environments or the achievement of sustainable objectives with cost optimization.
Superapps
It arises from the combination of an application, a platform and a digital ecosystem, all within the same application. It would be the technological equivalent of a Swiss Army knife that combines many tools that share the same purpose and that can be used or removed according to the needs of each user.
They run on the same platform that offers many services and where you can create personalized, engaging and more far-reaching user experiences. In fact, they allow you to include mobile and desktop business experiences, such as workflow, collaboration and messaging platforms.
Over time they will support chatbots, technologies that power the IoT, and immersive experiences like the metaverse.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
Closely linked to artificial intelligence and machine learning, RPA automates business processes such as application interpretation, transaction processing, data handling, or even responding to emails.
Its main advantage is that it automates repetitive tasks that employees used to do, allowing them to focus on more creative and productive tasks. In addition, it saves costs, increases profitability and reduces both the time to complete long tasks and the probability of error.
Therefore, it helps to take advantage of the human talent of companies and is very useful in the collection and storage of various data and in sectors such as finance, customer service or human resources.
New energy solutions
The commitment to achieve business models that are more respectful of the environment is compounded by the energy crisis in which we are immersed. The union of both promotes the search for new formulas and applied technologies to reduce our dependence on hydrocarbons.
In this scenario, artificial intelligence is very useful, especially to boost the benefits of renewable energies such as wind and solar through predictive maintenance. Thanks to it, anomalies can be detected and failures predicted before they occur, which means significant cost savings.
Green hydrogen is one of the great hopes in the energy transition and to reduce the high level of emissions produced by industries such as transport. Another is floating wind technology, which makes the most of the wind while revitalizing coastal communities and bringing energy production closer to consumption centers.
Sustainable technologies
The latest technological trend that Plain Concepts indicates for 2024 encompasses technologies such as AI, blockchain, cloud computing, extended reality or robotics, which make it possible to create a greener and more sustainable future without sacrificing efficiency and growth. business.
In recent years we have seen that many companies make numerous changes in their business organization and focus on the reduction and traceability of CO2 emissions, migration to the cloud or the optimization and automation of processes.
