2012, Armageddon? Maybe for Hardware - 10 Technology Trends To Look For This Year 2012…

The end of the world is near—December 21, 2012, to be exact—according to theories based on a purported ancient Maya prediction. But could humankind really meet its end in 2012—drowned in apocalyptic floods, walloped by a secret planet, seared by an angry sun, or thrown overboard by speeding continents?  Well, I think this is about as likely as with the year 2000 scare, when life as we knew it was going to stop, and nothing happened.  However for specialty hardware manufacturers, the end is near…  

Below are the trends you should expect in technology this year.

1. Voice to Text or Action and Vice Versa

Look for debut technologies integrating the voice to text/action and vice versa.  From cars, phones, games, to computer interfaces. The corporate flavor of this is Integrated Voice Response, IVR. Since IVR / IVRS offers so many advantages thus it is being used by a wide variety of industries for management / input and output of data or information. Some examples of Industries where IVR System is being prominently used are Electricity and Telephone Boards to register complaints and to give information and news/latest offers. Mobile communication companies for registering complaints, dispensing information and even to provide additional facilities to customers and banking sector for dispensing information through IVR / IVRS application. The opportunities are endless.

2. Soooo…. Bye, Bye Mr Specialized Hardware Guy…

Software is eating specialty hardware, i.e., Hard-line phones, Calculators, Camera, MP3 players, Gaming Consoles, PC Servers, Guitar Tuners, GPS devices, Data Centers, and perhaps money? Need I say more?

3. The Rise of Business Process Management

To increase efficiency and meet regulatory compliance, companies need better methods of gathering and reporting data. Most companies struggle with multiple back-office systems and siloed information. To address these issues in earnest, there will be a large investment in new and improved business process management tools in the year ahead, experts say. Especially as companies wrangle with how best to harness Big Data and the technical challenges of analyzing and reporting very large amounts of information with a quick turnaround, they will need to invest in BPM tools that facilitate integration. 

4. Goodbye Email, Hello Message Center

The abandonment of email for anything sensitive already has begun, and the shift to total reliance on message centers -- dedicated web portals designed for secure communication between a company and its customers -- looks to be here to stay.

5. The 'Tabletization' of Corporations and the User Experience

If you are a God fearing man, the idea of tablets changing the way we operate is an old one.  Tablet adoption is still a young channel, but it is rife with potential. As with initial mobile forays, it may take companies some period of trial and error to determine how to build the best companying experience for the tablet environment. But most experts agree that the potential for a great tablet companying user experience, especially with the rich interface tablets offer, is nearly unlimited.

6. Security is now truly A Moving Target

Mobile devices are becoming nearly ubiquitous. Many industry experts and talking heads already have proclaimed the "death of the PC" as consumers increasingly spend their time on their Smartphone and tablets, including for their companying needs. But as more people conduct their companying on mobile devices, these devices also will become the growing focus of hackers and fraudsters, who are always on the hunt for ripe targets.  In short, want to survive, start thinking that the Smartphone is more a mini PC, rather than a phone, then you’ll understand the risk.

7. Integrating the Channel

The days when a customer would walk into a branch to fulfill all of his or her companying needs are long gone. If a customer starts a loan application online and doesn't have time to complete it, that customer then expects to be able to come into a branch on the way home from work to finish it. However, in too many cases the same customer often will be asked to start the process all over again in the branch, due to a lack of channel integration. Companies will need to better manage the seamless integration of online, offline and mobile channels in 2012 and beyond.

8. Pushing Self-Service Products to Generate Revenue

Companies will put the focus on self-service to grow the bottom line by encouraging customers to embrace cost-saving practices, such e-statements and online bill pay, if they haven't already, to offer consumers rewards for embracing self-service channels.

9. You have to Move Like Jagger… Reaching the Next Level of Mobile Evolution

Mobile companying and payments saw major growth in 2011 -- from tech companies and financial institutions launching mobile wallets to consumers utilizing a mobile application to buy a cup of coffee. But 2012 will be the year in which mobile finance gains strategic direction, and companies will introduce next-generation mobile initiatives to drive balance sheet impacts.

10. Convergence of Mobile and Online Technologies

Mobile companying started as a novelty, something only techies and first adopters felt comfortable using. However, as Smartphones have skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years.  As companies continue to search for efficiencies and consolidate operations, the convergence of mobile and online technologies looks to be a prime opportunity to do so in 2012.

So “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;” 

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About Rick Ricker 

An IT professional with over 20 years experience in Information Security, wireless broadband, network and Infrastructure design, development, and support.

For more information, contact Rick at (800) 333-8394 x 689