Seven IT Megatrends of Recent Years: Here to Stay

The digital revolution has transformed our world in recent years, impacting nearly every aspect of life. This article highlights seven IT megatrends that gained momentum in the 2010s.

IT-Megatrends

Security and Privacy Take Center Stage: In recent years, security and data protection have become central priorities for companies and individuals. With the rise of threats like ransomware attacks and data breaches, investments in IT security have surged. This has led to the emergence of a booming cybersecurity market. New technologies such as AI and machine learning are increasingly being used to detect and combat threats in real-time.

Cloud Computing on the Rise: The use of cloud services and infrastructures has grown significantly in recent years. Companies have increasingly moved IT resources and applications, as well as media and data, to the cloud to benefit from scalability, flexibility, and cost efficiency. This shift has enabled organizations to respond to changing demands and better support global teams. Cloud computing was particularly crucial during the pandemic. Major cloud providers like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Apple, and Dropbox dominate the market, offering a wide range of services.

The Internet of Everything - Internet of Things (IoT): The IoT experienced a boom in the 2010s, with IoT technologies spreading rapidly. More and more devices and sensors were networked to collect and exchange data across various domains. This enabled companies to optimize processes and save energy, while consumers benefited from connected cars and smart devices. The impact of IoT spans industries and everyday life, with the potential to revolutionize many aspects of our lives.

Laying the Foundation for the Metaverse - Virtualization: Virtualization technologies have fundamentally changed how companies manage their server infrastructures, laying the groundwork for the metaverse, where virtual worlds and reality converge. These technologies became increasingly important by the end of the 2010s, paving the way for immersive experiences in virtual realities. However, by 2022, this development had significantly lost momentum and was overtaken by the rise of AI. Advances in Web3 and improved VR and AR devices could revive this trend in the near future.

Mobile First - The Rise of Mobile Technology: The introduction of the iPhone marked the beginning of a "Mobile First" UX approach. By 2018, more than three billion people worldwide owned a smartphone, according to Statista. Mobile devices became the preferred platform for accessing the internet and using web-based applications. Consequently, companies began optimizing their websites and applications for mobile devices. Mobile technologies have made it possible to work, shop, and communicate from anywhere, fundamentally changing how people interact and do business.

Big Data - The New Gold: The amount of data generated by people continues to grow, particularly through smartphones, smart devices, and more powerful PCs. Companies began in the 2010s, and even earlier, to collect and analyze large volumes of data to gain insights. This data was not only used to improve operational efficiency and detect trends but also served as the foundation for developing and utilizing AI. The ability to efficiently process and extract insights from large datasets has become a critical competitive advantage in many industries.

AI Advances - The Next Big Thing: Over the past decade, AI has made significant strides, with many tech companies introducing AI products for consumers. The trend truly exploded in 2022 when OpenAI took AI from being just a trend to a major hype by developing advanced AI models that could be easily used in various consumer applications. The integration of AI across industries is revolutionizing how we work and interact, offering the potential for groundbreaking developments in the future.

All Connected: These IT megatrends have profoundly shaped the tech landscape in recent years, and many of them will continue to play a key role. It's interesting to note that almost all of these trends gained momentum simultaneously, largely because they rely on similar foundations: large amounts of data and high processing speeds. As both continue to grow in the future, companies that adapt to these developments in an agile manner and continue to innovate will likely see the greatest success.

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This article was written as part of the CAS Digital Leadership at the Institute for Digital Business of the «Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich».