I love innovation and technology. I know that 2017 will be a year that will bring new innovations and continue to change our world in ways we could not have imagined.
Recently, I was lucky enough to speak with Carolyn Rollins, Director US and Canada Commercial Regional Marketing, Dell Canada. Carolyn shared her thoughts on the latest innovations for 2017.
What are the hottest innovations for technology in 2017?
In 2017 expect to see further developments and broader adaption of technologies and devices that will enhance both our personal and professional lives experiences.
Virtual Reality (VR) for example is an area that will continue to grow and go mainstream, not just as part of PC gaming. As VR technology and its platforms become more available, businesses will start to realise its tremendous potential. We should expect to see builders and architects virtually walking onto sites and be able to see full-scale models of buildings before any work has even begun.
Living in technicolour - Next year we are also going to see enhancements in the way we view our digital creations. More vivid pictures, more pixels and curved/flexible screens are on the horizon. Just as people thought 5K resolution displays would supplement 4K as the next industry standard, rumours of large displays with double the resolution are starting to circulate.
Self-healing technologies - As the old adage says "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", addressing a problem before it even occurred will help businesses to continue with their operations with fewer disruptions. Thanks to advances in machine learning, we will be able to predict when a piece of technology or equipment is about to break before it does, applying a preventative fix and address the issue. In 2017 we will see additional utilization of self-healing technologies, mainly to operational processes, that will allow companies to divert focus and resources from "IT maintenance" to more strategic projects.
Artificial Intelligence Helps Make Business Decisions - As IoT continues play a key role in the digital transformation of businesses, more companies will adopt and extend this technology into the field to enhance customer relationships, driving efficiencies and business growth. This will result in exponential growth in data collected by IoT devices. Huge amounts of data that need to be interpreted and translated into business decisions and actions.
How to incorporate these new tech devices and computers to the workplace?
There's no cookie cutter solution or a unified answer as each business has its own unique needs and workplace environment. However, the following principles should provide a good guidance to follow for businesses looking to incorporate new technologies and devices to the workplace:
•Choose standard-based technology and devices. Few small and medium size business have the resources and capacity to hire a dedicated IT personnel to build and deploy customized IT solutions. For this reason, small and medium size businesses should choose standards-based technologies that don't require specialized knowledge to operate. That way, staff can focus on developing products, services and supporting customers.
•Have a defined mobile and security plan/protocol- smaller businesses regard mobile solutions as essential for enabling business, with many companies allowing employees to choose, bring and use their own devices at the workplace. But despite this growing trend, many still don't have a formal plan in place. Formalizing a plan or a protocol at the workplace can lead to a more secure, reliable usage of technology in the workplace.
•Work with a technology consultant - for larger projects that require a more complex technology integration it is better to seek the advice of an IT consultant. A technology partner with the right expertise can help select the appropriate devices, a sound IT platforms, identify and implement the right infrastructure.
•In-house vs. outsource - As a rule of thumb, critical mission information and technologies should stay in-house while more generic applications can be outsourced to external service/cloud providers.
I was also fortunate enough to speak with Sennheiser and they provided the latest updates on sound innovation and shared the innovations which will effect our business life, as well as our daily lives.
Sennheiser recently developed TeamConnect Wireless, the first wireless, go-anywhere conferencing solution for online meetings. It provides ease of use so that anyone can set up a professional sounding conference in virtually any arrangement. Users can connect their own Bluetooth device wirelessly with NFC. Wired connections are also possible via USB and jack cable. Alongside the current carry case option an alternative charging base for permanent meeting rooms is also available.
One of the latest innovations for audiophile headphones is the HD 630VB which is a unique because it proves that audiophile sound can be taken virtually anywhere. It delivers a balanced, spatial sound in a circumaural closed-back design with passive noise cancelling that helps insulate the listener from ambient noise for a distraction-free listening experience.
Stay tuned to my blog, where I will continue to uncover the latest in innovations and technology for your business and daily life.
Your suggestions are always welcome, as I continue on my journey to live life to the fullest.Let's have the very best 2017!
Visit Sacha daily at SachaD.com
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