If you don’t already realise how technology is going to rock the socks off your business, you’re doomed. Well, maybe nothing quite as dramatic as that. However, we are only a few weeks away from 2019, and if you don’t know much about smart technology and the way that technology is taking over, it’s because you live on a remote island away from people. Technology is in our faces every single day and it affects everyone, from business owners to regular employees out there in the world. We wake up to smartphones, smart hubs, smart internet, smart doorbells, smart heating – you name it, technology is moving in and setting up camp to make it more efficient.
Business is changing. It’s always been changing and it will always be changing in the future. What’s current and trendy right now will be ‘vintage and irrelevant’ in five years. There is nothing more certain than the fact that businesses will always be evolving and innovating, and a big part of that is going to be within the technology that they use. Think about the way that the desktop computer has changed from a large, boxy piece of kit compared to the slimline, sleek ones we have now. There used to be huge desktop towers that were packed full of technology to manage the data and information in your PC for your business. Now? The very computer monitors that you use on your desk double up as computers. It’s just that now, the technology has been streamlined and made microscopic.
One of the biggest challenges of today is the fact that big data is taking over. Businesses are moving their intelligence and information into cloud computing to try to avoid hackers and ensure that nothing can take away their information. Companies are moving beyond the digital towers in the confines of their offices, and they’re embracing the technology that can keep them moving, namely mobile technology. It’s allowing companies to shrink their overheads by allowing people to work remotely from other places in the world. It’s also allowing people to hire better talent globally because technology has meant that our ability to communicate has expanded. Mobile technology is blasting through and through thorough QA testing best practices and the attention of designers everywhere, mobile business apps are a huge hit. Technology has changed everything, and unless your business wants to remain in the stone age, you need to decide how technology is going to change the future and make life easier for businesses.
As a business owner, you can’t argue about the benefits of new technology and you can’t get out of the way of the innovations that are going on. Instead, you can learn everything that you can about the technology that could affect your business and you can really marvel at the weird and wonderful business technology facts that are floating around. Below, we’ve put together twelve of the most interesting business technology facts that you want to know.
- More data has been created in the last two years than the entire history of the human race. Interesting and slightly frightening for a business, given that the sheer wealth of data out there means you need to be well protected and up to date with all the trends at all times. With more data means more data storage, which is where the developments in memory drives and back up drives are important, as well as the cloud tech innovations.
- 92% of the currency in the world today is digital. It’s like having a purse filled with imaginary cash, isn’t it? Your business takes a loan, uses that loan to buy equipment and services and earns money through online transactions. Let’s be honest, how much of that cash do you see physically? Most of the money that you earn and do transactions with only ever exists on computers and hard drives, and with the rise of cryptocurrency happening right now, it’s no surprise it’s becoming more popular online.
- Within the next five years, there will be more smart connected devices in the world that are all designed to collect and share data. The 50 billion available devices will mean that there are more devices that can instantly connect to your business than there are people to buy from you in the world.
- If you are a retailer, you can leverage the full power of big data and this could increase your operating margin by up to 60%. By optimizing online shopping as well as an in-store option, you are going to be able to get to know the wants and needs of your customer and conform to what they want, particularly mobile phone apps.
- Once it’s fully available, the 5G data speeds will be 1,000 times faster than the speeds of today. The resulting engagement with customers on mobile technology will propel businesses to create better, faster apps and more interesting content, and this will make your business more popular as you engage with what customers want.
- Nomophobia is the fear of being without a mobile phone, and over 60% of people suffer with nomophobia. This isn’t too surprising given how much we rely on our smartphones to get our news, our social media and generally update ourselves on what is going on in business.
- More than 90% of all companies have seen an improvement in their IT processes since their move to cloud computing. It’s one of the improvements that imply cost savings, ease of use and the cloud has helped and will continue to help a lot of businesses.
- Businesses that choose to have remote workers have happier employees. The ability to communicate across multiple platforms and with more than one device has made remote work far easier and a lot more cost effective than having an in house staff base. Productivity is up with cloud workers, and without the usual office distractions, people get their work done faster. Employees who work remotely are also more efficient.
- Video conferencing and video chat has transformed the way businesses communicate with each other and their other business locations. Group calls with up to 25 people are now possible with sites like Skype, and as long as everyone in the company has access to a video chat facility, remote working and those who travel for business has just become much simpler.
- Mobile apps make your company a better place to work. Not only do mobile apps bring in more business, they are a way for customers to access you instantly and therefore are a popular method for people to shop. Everyone has a smartphone these days, and those who love their online shopping will seek out an app for the company that they want to shop with.
- Mobile apps are transforming the way that we communicate with businesses, which means that without one, your business is severely behind. If you have the right app with the least bugs, you’re going to have a successful business with a strong customer base. Building that base is vital to your future success, which is why you need to get creating now.
- Lastly, with more people than ever Googling on the go, you could have the monopoly on optimization in your industry if you hire the best of the best to run your SEO for you. Strategy is important, and SEO is going to drive your business traffic. If you don’t know enough about it, it’s time to start researching!
