INFOGRAPHIC: The Future of IT

Technology is rapidly changing at a staggering pace. The rapid change of technology has driven an increased demand for highly competent IT professionals to meet the needs of the future. Many people now wonder what exactly these professionals need to know to prepare for this future.  In order to determine this we must look at the trends, technologies, and jobs that will dominate the landscape of tomorrow.

IT Trends Shaping The Future      

There are many mega trends are currently influencing how technology will be used in the future. For example, there is starting to be a greater connection between people and the internet. People now view the internet as more than a piece of technology but as a mental, social, and physical extension of themselves. This means they also expect to have access to technology everywhere and on any device.

The “Internet of Things” is another major trend. The internet is now expected to be digitally linked to objects we use on a daily basis. At the same time big data is emerging providing new opportunities and challenges while artificial intelligence is putting computers in the position to make decisions. The shared economy is also creating a need for digital transparency and trust mechanisms that allow direct exchange of goods and services. People also now want to utilize 3D-printing and other technology to create physical materials on the spot. All of these trends are greatly influencing our current and future technology demands and needs. 

IT Technology of the Future 

Due to the current trends and advancements technology will look a lot different in the future. Here are some of the technologies that will be shaping our world in the future:

Space drones: NASA has issued a challenge for designers to develop drones that can operate inside a space station.

760mph trains: PayPal, Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk has been pioneering the new Hyperloop system. These “trains” can travel up to 760mph through a vacuum tube, propelled by compressed air and induction motors. With this technology passengers could travel between San Francisco and LA in 35 minutes.

Using sound to fight forest fires: We all know that wild fires are a major problem in many areas of the country. Luckily, these fires will one day be fought by drones that direct loud noises at the trees below. Since sound is made up of pressure waves, it can be used to disrupt the air surrounding a fire, cutting off the supply of oxygen to the fuel. This technology can help fire fighters and ultimately save lives.

Breathalyser cars: The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has developed devices that can monitor alcohol levels by sniffing a driver’s breath or scanning the blood in their fingertips via the steering wheel. With the technology cars can be immobilized the car if levels are too high. Drivers who use this system could even be offered discounts on insurance premiums.

Internet for everyone: Elon Musk is requesting permission to send almost 4,000 small satellites into low-Earth orbit. These satellites would beam back a high-speed wireless signal to everyone on the planet. This would provide wi-fi to everyone in the world opening use of the internet and technology to everyone.

Personalities for robots: Google has obtained a patent on robot personalities. Owners could have a personality automatically chosen to match their needs, or select one based on a fictional character, or a loved one. These will definitely be the robots of the future.

Self-driving trucks: Driverless trucks are cheaper to run than regular rigs. They drive more smoothly and use less fuel while computers never get tired or need breaks. They can also drive in convoys, nose-to-tail, to minimize wind resistance. This type of technology will most likely be the future of transport.

Your brain print as a password: A team at Binghamton University, New York looked at the way volunteers’ brain signals changed as they read a list of acronyms. Each person reacted differently enough for the system to predict who was reading the list with 94% accuracy. In the future a version of this technology could be used to verify who is using a computer. Your brain would ultimately be your password. 

IT Jobs in the Future

To take advantage of the trends and technologies identified here, we must also know what jobs will be in demand in the future. These include:

Cognitive computing engineer/machine learning specialist: Do you remember IBM’s cognitive computing initiative, Watson which became a “Jeopardy” champion? Cognitive systems are becoming a very large part of IBM’s business plan and other companies are following. The demand for cognitive computing skills is growing and colleges are starting to offer courses and programs that address this need.

Blockchain engineer: Many startups are recruiting engineers and developers who are familiar with the technologies behind bitcoin. They want people who have experience in cryptography, distributed systems, hash algorithms, and more. In fact, more than 200 companies and open source projects are seeking to apply blockchain technology to applications such as trading platforms , secure identification cards, and self-executing contracts.

GPU cluster engineer: GPU computing improves application performance by offloading compute-intensive portions of the application to the GPU, while the remainder of the code still runs on the CPU. This advantage is key to companies like Facebook, China’s Baidu, and Experian that deal with enormous data sets.

Virtual reality engineer: Virtual reality is expanding beyond being exclusive to just gamers. For example, the New York Times, is one of the first newspapers to begin using virtual reality (and Google Cardboard) as a storytelling tool. Goldman Sachs predicts that virtual reality will generate $110 billion, compared to television’s $99 billion, in 10 years.

Internet of things architect: Everything is starting to connect to the internet of things. Verizon recently posted a job for an “IoT solutions architect.” People who can work with this technology will be able to shape the future and remain in high demand.

Computer security incident responder: Cyber security specialist has been an in-demand job for some time. Incident responders are the people who deal with the effects of an attack or an exploit. They understand security information and event management (SIEM) SIEM. combines a number of functions into a single system and centralizes event logs and other security-related documentation for analysis.

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The future of technology is definitely bright. Those who understands the IT trends, uses, and jobs of the future will remain in high demand. They will be the people who work with the technology that shapes the future of our world.