Technology today is developing faster than we can ever imagine, bringing out smart changes and progress. Currently, technology is evolving at a rapid acceleration towards change until eventually, it’ll become exponential. However, these development isn’t limited to only technology, a lot of smart initiatives has been innovated especially during this COVID-19 pandemic. People are now working from home and connecting to clients through digital means. Therefore, an IT professional will always be learning, unlearning, and relearning. This means you have to be current with the latest technology trends.
Keeping your eyes on the future will keep you prepared ahead of any unforeseen circumstances and will give you the skills you need to secure a safe job tomorrow. Covid-19 despite its damages brought the global population back to IT. This pandemic has radically transformed how we humans deal with things and that change will continue to take effect in our everyday lives. A couple of years back, who would have thought that you can connect to your financial service provider right from your desk, or strike a deal with an unknown person in the comfort of your room? Meanwhile, this is not about providing a short term alternative to the situation but bringing a permanent solution to employees.
However, if you wish to get the most out of technology and possibly secure a job created by them, here are the top new trends you need to watch out for in Nigeria and make an attempt for.
5G Network
The first technology trend that’s evolving faster daily is the 5G network. 3G and 4G LTE technologies have always allowed us to browse the internet faster, increased bandwidths for streaming on YouTube, Netflix, or Spotify, use data-driven services, and lots more. Why many countries like Nigeria haven’t accepted 5G yet, many countries of the world are already using it and top mobile brands like Samsung and Xiaomi have equipped it on their Galaxy S21 and Xiaomi Mi 11 respectively.
5G network connection is here to revolutionize our lives, the way we see things, work, or perform our home tasks. Apart from smartphones, 5G is expected to be used in HD cameras to improve security, and also in factories. Just like every Telecomm company like Nokia, Apple, T-Mobile, Verizon are planning or started using the 5G network, it’s expected to be available in over 2 thousand smartphones and more than 30 countries before the end of 2021. This makes it one of the top technology trends to watch out for in Nigeria 2021.
Cyber Security
Cybersecurity might seem to be around for a while now, but it’s one of the still-emerging technology trends to watch out for in 2021. This is because most of its tweaks are constantly new. Recently, there has been a massive outbreak of internet fraudulent activities with hackers trying to gain illegal access to maybe the victim’s bank account or luring him into fraudulent transactions. These people are not ready to give up anytime soon and will continue haunting victims until tough security measures are implemented. As long as these hackers continue developing means to haunt people, cybersecurity will continue to remain a new technology trend till it permanently evolves means to defend against those hackers.
As the need for cybersecurity continues to arise, the number of cybersecurity innovations continues to increase yearly. This year, a total amount of $6 trillion will be spent globally on cybersecurity.
Also, the number of jobs cybersecurity is creating is three times faster than any tech job. This field is offering a six-figure incomes to most people, and changing them from ethical hacker to security engineer or Chief Security Officer. Apart from that, cybersecurity is also offering a promising career to someone who wants to gain the advantage of this trending evergreen technology innovation.
Read How to Connect your Laptop to a Monitor 2021
Internet of Things (IoT)
Aside from the 5G network and cybersecurity, another promising new technology trend is the Internet of Things (IoT). Numerous “things” are now being built with Wi-Fi connectivity, meaning they may be connected to the internet. An example of this is the connection of many computers into a single network like in a school computer room or gaming center. The IoT is the future and has already enabled cars, smartphones, home appliances, and many others to be connected to and exchange data over the internet.
As consumers, the importance of IoT can never be overemphasized. You can lock up your car or home doors remotely. Also, you can track your fitness through Fitbits, FitPro, or manly other fitness apps. However, businesses are now embracing IoT, thanks to the covid-19 pandemic. The internet of things can improve customer service, speed up health care, improve a country’s economy, and many other benefits we haven’t imagined yet.
However, despite its impact on our everyday lives, we’re still in the initial stage of this new technology trend. Forecasts suggest that by 2035, over 50 billion of those IoT services will be used all over the world, creating a massive interconnection of smartphones to cars or kitchen appliances. Also, new technology trends like the 5G network, digital marketing, two-screen phones, and many others are expected to gain waves in 2021.
Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has already received recognition over the past decade but it’s still one of the new technology trends we’re to watch out for because of its positive effect on our way of life. AI is already acknowledged because of its superiority in smartphone voice assistants (Alexa), speech recognition, ride-sharing apps, and much more.
Apart from that, AI will help and predict demand for services like in the laboratory, analyzing interactions to determine underlying connections and perspectives. Also, AI will be used to further analyse data in real lifetime, enhancing the individual experience, and generating revenue.
Forecasts suggests the AI market will gain a massive growth of up to $190 billion in the next four years and global spending on noesis and AI system reaching over $57 million this year. With AI now gaining more ground, employment opportunities will open and a new career in AI will resurface. Also, AI offers one of the world’s highest salaries ranging from $145,000 per year (AI architect) to $125,000 annually (machine learning engineer).
Machine learning is another section of AI that’s being integrated into different industrial organizations thereby creating a huge demand for more skilled professionals. It’s predicted that Machine Learning, AI, and automation will create 9% of US jobs in the year 2025.
Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
Similar to AI, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is another technology trend that is automating jobs. RPA is the smart use of software to automatically perform business processes such as transactions, interpreting applications, sending of emails, dealing with datas, etc. This means that RPA will automatically perform tasks that humans use to do.
RPA while having many advantages also has its disadvantages. Research reveals that RPA will threaten the livelihood of over 9% of the global workforce. However, despite altering existing jobs, RPA will create more massive and higher-paying jobs. If you’re looking forward to becoming an IT professional in the future, RPA offers numerous career opportunities including business analyst, project manager, developer, solution architect, and lots more.
